Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories
by ReaganCaseyFan
Summary: Set in the TSCC Universe and the story timelines of my other TSCC stories (Cameron Grows Up, The Future Cameron and Cameron's Revenge) Cameron: Fights Past and Present is a collection of short stories dealing with the struggles and conflicts Cameron must resolve as she fights to grow closer to John and her family. Sometimes life as a Terminator is not easy. Jameron.
1. Chapter 1

**Cameron: Fights Past and Present**

 **Cameron's Room**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

 _These stories are set in the timeline of my other TSCC stories and take place during_ _ **Cameron**_ _ **Grows Up**_ _,_ _ **The Future Cameron**_ _and_ _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ _. Characters from the original TSCC story arc and_ _ **Cameron Grows Up**_ _as well as_ _ **The Future Cameron**_ and _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ _appear in these stories._

 **The Connor Family Bunker…**

John's briefcase had to be in the one place he was not about to go. Frustrated, Derek sent John a message letting him know he'd looked everywhere in the bunker and the briefcase had to be in John and Cameron's bedroom. Within minutes Derek received a message back telling him the briefcase was in fact lying on the bed.

Derek sighed and sat down. He sent a short text to John.

"You'll have to come get it yourself."

"Why? You're there. Just grab it and bring it."

"Not happening John."

"Derek, quit wasting time. Get my briefcase and bring it to headquarters. We've got too much to do today."

 _Of all the things to happen today,_ Derek thought. _John of all people should understand._

Sitting on the couch, Derek decided his nephew could just come and get his own briefcase. Stretching out on the couch, he crossed his feet and rested his head on the purple decorative pillow Ruth had made for Cameron.

He stared at the rough-hewn ceiling that had been carved out of the granite of the Sierra Nevada foothills where TechCom City was being built. The contrast in ceilings took him back to a different time from the past in a different home.

 **Pre-Judgment Day - Connor Family Home...**

 _Let's see, Dodgers were off last night. Angels won. Padres won._ Derek continued reading the box scores from the previous night's MLB games.

BAAAAAM.

Hot coffee from the mug sitting on the table spilled on his lap, burning him. Derek tossed the sports page aside and frantically wiped the hot liquid off his pants. Looking up, he saw the cause of both the startling noise and the spilled coffee.

"You had no right!"

Cameron stood at the end of the table, right hand on her hip while the fingers of her left hand clinched and unclenched in a fist.

"And just what is I am supposed to have no right too?"

"You went in my room and searched it."

Experienced metal fighter that he was, Derek calmed himself enough to not provoke Cameron further. Her face appeared to be devoid of emotion by the hand on her hip and the appearance of her glitch told him otherwise. She'd hit the table to get his attention, no doubt intending to spill his coffee.

"You had no right to hide a chip."

Cameron glared at Derek in silence for nearly a minute.

"I would never, will never, betray John or do anything to hurt John."

"You still should not have taken and hidden a chip."

For a second time the angry cyborg stared at Derek in silence.

"You are not being fair."

"What's fair got to do with anything metal?"

Cameron turned to leave, pausing in the kitchen door for a final hateful stare. "I don't search your living area in the basement. I just bring your clean and folded laundry downstairs."

"Oh, and that's supposed to change things between us? To make it okay that Sarah lets a metal live in the same house as John?"

"You have things, things that are your own Derek Reese."

Without another word, Cameron left the kitchen and stormed through the living room. Derek heard the backdoor slam. Smiling to himself, he picked up his paper from the floor and sat back down to finish the sports.

Before he could read the story on expected trades to be made before the trade deadline, Derek heard the sound of bare feet coming down the stairs, making their way to the kitchen.

"What have you done now Derek?"

"I'm trying to read the sports page to see if the Dodgers are going to finally trade for some bullpen pitching."

"Then why did I hear the backdoor slam and see Cameron storming down the street?

"You'd have to ask her."

What had started out as a pleasant morning was rapidly going downhill. Derek peeked over the top of his sports page to see a disheveled Sarah standing in the exact spot Cameron had occupied minutes ago. Still dressed in nothing more than her pajama bottoms and a thin, grey cotton tank top, Derek found Sarah attractive. Her raven hair was in disarray from what had likely been a difficult night's sleep.

Feeling his physical frustration start to arise, Derek decided things would be easier if he didn't look at Sarah while they argued. She was just to physically appealing to him and try as he might; Derek felt both attraction and guilt whenever he looked at Sarah Connor as a woman. She was Kyle's, not his.

"What is it I'll be asking Tin Miss about?"

"Whatever it is that's got her processor short circuiting this morning would be my guess."

"This is my house, Derek."

Derek chanced another glance. Now both hands were on her hips, producing the unfortunate result of pulling Sarah's top tighter across her chest. Just as quickly as he had looked over the top of his paper, he retreated to the safety of the hiding behind it.

"Something about her room."

"What about her room?"

"You know, the chip I found."

Derek stared at the page; not reading a word, hoping his explanation would satisfy Sarah. She'd been furious with the metal when he'd presented the damning evidence to Sarah. Cameron had reacted calmly in her typical emotionless Terminator manner, explaining away the processor.

After a moment, the sound of Sarah's bare feet plodding across the hardwood floor of the living room signaled the exchange was over. Grinning, Derek lowered his paper and leaned over in his chair, allowing himself to enjoy the view of Sarah's magnificent bottom wiggling as she slowly climbed the stairs.

As Sarah disappeared from view, Derek felt relieved. Returning to the story about possible trades, he realized the day wasn't going to get any better. The Dodgers front office seemed to think their pitching rotation was fine as it was.

 **Post Judgment Day - Connor Family Home...**

A faint ray of light pierced the complete darkness of the basement. In that instant, Derek became fully awake, alert and ready to fight. Without making a sound, he retrieved his loaded .45 from the bedside table.

The lights to the basement came on, catching him by surprise. He covered his eyes, temporarily blinded and aimed his sidearm at the stairs.

"Shooting me will have no effect Derek Reese."

"Cameron, what are you doing? You woke me up." Derek opened his right eye slightly, squinting to adjust to the bright light. "Shouldn't you be on patrol?"

"I finished my first one. The neighborhood is calm. No threats."

"Then why are you here? Shouldn't you be watching tv or doing whatever it is you do at this time of night?"

"I cannot."

Derek sat up and opened both eyes, blinking rapidly to adjust to the light. With his left hand he rubbed sleep from his eyes. Cautiously he lowered his pistol, but did not return it to its place on the bedside table.

"Can't what?"

"Do what it is I normally do at this time of night."

"Is your glitch spreading to something else?"

"No. Normally this time of night I sit in my room."

"So go sit in your room," Derek snapped back. "You don't need to come wake me up."

"It is your fault that I can't sit in my room."

"How is it my fault? Have you uploaded a virus? Is your processor shorting out?"

"You took from me the only thing that is mine."

Derek was truly puzzled, making his anger with the cyborg increase.

"I want to go back to sleep, so go patrol or watch an old movie or something."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Get out of my room."

"No. Why should I? You violated my room. I'm going to do the same."

Derek glanced down at his .45 and considered shooting Cameron and just quickly decided against it. It wouldn't kill her and would just bring down Sarah and John's anger on him. Then again, it might be worth it, Derek thought.

"I have no clue what you are rambling on about."

"When I was captured and reprogrammed, I had only the clothes Skynet had taken from Allison. They were not my own. Everyone in the Resistance had at least one treasure that was theirs from before Judgment Day. When Future John sent me back, even the clothes I wore had to be left behind."

"So what? I didn't bring anything back with me either."

"You have your Dodgers. That is yours. You have held odd jobs and earned money. You have purchased things. You have your nephew."

"What is your point Cameron?"

"Everything I have was given to me by Sarah. She won't let me have a job to earn my own money. High school students have jobs to earn money. It would not blow my cover. But Sarah feels it would lessen my ability to protect John."

"So you don't have any money. Lots of girls your age don't have money."

"You don't understand. I have nothing that is mine. Everything was purchased by Sarah. I have no treasure to call my own."

"Look, let me go to sleep, okay. You can wash my truck for two months and I'll pay you. Then we'll go to the mall and you can get something you want. How does that sound?"

"My room was my own. I had never had a room before," Cameron said wistfully. "Before I was sent back in time, I never had my own bunker or even a place to enter standby. I had to wait wherever I was told to wait."

"You don't need a room," Derek replied, growing irritated with Cameron for keeping him awake.

"I am a sentient, self-aware cyborg. I was never allowed to have the dignity of having something that was personal to me. Sarah may pay the rent, but it is my room. I earn the right to call it my own with my labor doing all the household chores. Sarah may enter and John can always enter. But you, Derek Reese, are a guest here. You have a place of your own."

"Yeah, one that I pay the rent on."

"You are a guest because Sarah values your knowledge and experience. You are John's uncle and Sarah wants John to know you. But you are a guest none-the-less. I live here."

"You're metal."

"So that means I am never to be allowed to belong? I am never to have any dignity? I just want something that is mine, truly mine. My room gave me that. And you took that away."

"You hid a chip."

"You only had to ask to search my room."

"And you would have said yes," Derek laughed.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"By asking you would have acknowledged it was my room, that I had something that was my own."

Derek shook his head. If he didn't know so much about Terminator behavior, he'd have thought Cameron was being silly or messing with him. She was serious.

"Why does having a room matter? I mean really? You don't sleep. When we're awake you don't go in there except to put clothes up or change outfits."

"I could put pictures or posters on the walls if I wanted. I am sure Sarah would let me paint it a different color if I wanted. I have moved the furniture several times, but nobody noticed."

Nobody noticed.

It was like being anonymous.

Alone.

Lonely.

Derek looked at Cameron standing in the middle of the area he considered his "room" in the basement. He found he didn't like it one bit. If she'd been on the far side with the washer and dryer he would have been furious with her for running the machines at this time of night, but he wouldn't have felt the sense of violation he did.

 **Post Judgment Day - Connor Family Bunker - TechCom City...**

He'd never entered Cameron's room again unless she was present. There had been times he'd stood at the door and looked, like the time he'd watched Cameron practicing ballet when she'd first started her lessons. But he'd never set foot across the threshold of her room again unless Cameron was present.

Faint boot steps growing closer and louder caught Derek's attention, bringing him back to the present. He readied himself to argue with his nephew. John of all people should understand Cameron was quirky and boundaries others did not notice could be important to her. Like respecting the fact the bedroom she shared with her husband was private and personal to her.

The door to the bunker opened and Derek braced for the verbal attack, ready to respond with sarcasm and irritation. The sudden strawberry smell surprised him as did the kiss on the cheek. He snapped his head to the right to find Cameron's face inches from his, smiling.

"You remembered," she said, standing up.

Derek watched Cameron walk across the living room and enter her and John's bedroom. She emerged with her husband's briefcase and stopped in the middle of the room.

"Thank you."

"Yeah, no problem" he replied, feeling a little embarrassed.

"I will make it right with my John. He will not say a word to you about this."

"Mind if I give you a head start so you can calm the General down? I'll go over to my bunker and get some stuff done there."

"It's all right. Family is allowed in our living room. You, Sarah and Ruth are here all the time. We have been family for a long time now."

"Okay, I'll take a little nap then," Derek replied. "It's not like I get to do that often."

Cameron nodded and made her way to the door of the bunker, pausing to look back at Derek as he closed his eyes. As silly as it might seem to anyone else, Cameron felt good about the strange act of respect Derek had displayed.

She would make this right with her John.

 **Jealousy, the Green-eyed Monster**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

 _These stories are set in the timeline of my other TSCC stories and take place during_ _ **Cameron**_ _ **Grows Up**_ _,_ _ **The Future Cameron**_ _and_ _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ _. Characters from the original TSCC story arc and_ _ **Cameron Grows Up**_ _as well as_ _ **The Future Cameron**_ and _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ _appear in these stories._

 **The Connor Family Bunker…**

Sarah enjoyed quiet. She rarely got to experience it. Life in the TechCom Command Center was always busy. And noisy. Either from the hustle and bustle that went on nearly 24 hours a day or the sounds of the never ending construction of TechCom City.

It wasn't much better at home with Ruth and Hailey constantly making a racket if the two were awake. The family's two Italian Greyhounds, usually quiet on their own, always contributed to the noise when the girls were active.

And then there were the evenings when Cameron cooked and the extended clan and friends came over, staying late and enjoying the much-needed downtime from the stress of their daily lives.

Not wishing anything in her life to change, Sarah still valued time alone. Time spent without noise. Thus, the once a week swap of household duties. Sarah would pick up and clean in John and Cameron's bunker and Tin Miss would do the same for her. The dogs hated the sound of the vacuum cleaner the two households shared and would run for the Old Man's alcove to avoid the high pitched sounds. With the girls at school and everyone else on duty, Sarah was able to de-stress while doing simple, mindless tasks and enjoy the quiet.

All that remained was to fold the last load of clothes and Sarah could sit down and relax until it was time to return to duty for the afternoon.

A shrill beep announced the clothes were dry. Sarah dumped the clean clothes into a battered, scared plastic laundry basket and carried them to the table to fold. In short order the clothes were all folded and put away. All except the white mesh bag that Sarah and Cameron used to wash their underwear.

A quick pull opened the zipper, allowing the silky contents to fall out on the table. With familiar ease, Sarah rapidly folded and stacked Cameron's cotton underwear and her sports bras. The remaining silky items made the Connor matriarch shake her head.

She held up a pair of skimpy, silky purple panties with a matching lace bra. "Tin Miss, some things never change with you." Sarah laughed remembering the pitched battles with Cameron at their last home before Judgment Day.

 **Los Angeles - Pre-Judgement Day - Connor Family Home...  
**

"Put some clothes on!"

"I have clothes on."

"You call that dressed?"

"My genitals and mammary glands are covered. So is my posterior."

"I call that advertising!"

"I am not selling anything."

Her normally quick temper had almost reached the boiling point. Sarah counted to ten to try to lesson the frustration and anger with the pretty cyborg arguing with her.

"Try telling that to any healthy human male!"

"But Sarah, I truly do not wish to sell anything."

"Well, you're selling plenty dressed like that."

Cameron stood silently, projecting an air of defiance while not displaying any outward emotion.

"I do not want John to see you dressed like that. Nor are you to ever set one foot outside of this house unless you are fully clothed. Appropriately fully clothed. My idea of appropriately clothed. That's an order! Have I made myself clear?"

Cameron didn't say a word. She slowly walked to the stairs, taking her time to stroll past an open mouthed, wide-eyed John. Sarah fumed as John watched Cameron slowly wiggle her way up the stairs and vanish from sight.

"That girl is going to be the death of me yet," Sarah fumed.

"The death of you? Mom, I can't take much more of watching her stroll around like that. I'm a man after all."

"You're a boy. Teenage boy. All hormones. Don't forget she's metal. Do you understand me John?"

"Cameron might be metal, Mom, but she's one scorching hot piece of metal with a very nice skin covering."

"John! Don't you dare encourage Cameron and I don't want you looking at her when she dresses like that. She's trying to manipulate you."

John shrugged and headed for the kitchen. _And Cameron does an incredible job of manipulating me when she strips down. She's killing me!_

For a moment Sarah considered letting the incident go. The groan of male frustration from the kitchen changed her mind. Hurrying up the stairs, Sarah entered Cameron's room without knocking, shutting the door behind her.

"I am putting on additional outwear," Cameron announced.

"I see that Tin Miss."

"I am complying with your directive."

"Why are you doing this?"

"You told me to apply additional outwear. I am putting on more clothes. I will no longer be advertising to sell something."

"No Terminator word games. Why are you doing this?"

"Are you referring to me doing household tasks in my underwear?"

"No. I'm referring to why you're trying to kill my son!"

Cameron's head spun around and promptly tilted to the side, questioning Sarah without asking a question.

"I am not trying to terminate John. I am not damaged, Sarah. I overrode the command again this morning, just like I do every morning. I ran my test, I'm fine now."

Sensing the degree of panic she'd caused Cameron, Sarah couldn't help but smile at the troublesome cyborg.

"Then quit running around in your underwear. You're torturing my son."

"John sees me in my underwear on a regular basis and you do not object," Cameron protested.

"When he's digging bullets or shrapnel out of you and suturing your wounds. That's entirely different."

"Why?"

"Don't give me that! You have all "those" files in your database. You're an infiltrator, a female infiltrator. John doesn't see you that way when you're injured."

Cameron slipped an old, faded t-shirt for the Rolling Stones over her head and pulled it down.

"John never touches me in an inappropriate manner."

"Keep showing him the girls and he will."

Cameron's brown eye's flashed red in anger, "That's not fair!"

Taken aback for just a second, Sarah responded to Cameron's rare display of powerful emotion by moving closer to the cyborg. "And just why is this not fair? Please tell me Tin Miss."

For the second time in the exchange, Cameron tilted her head in confusion, needing to ask Sarah a question but not finding the words to do so.

"That's what I thought," Sarah snapped. "Keep the girls undercover and the bottom appropriately attired and we won't have this discussion again."

Sarah turned to leave, hoping Cameron had gotten the message.

"You just want John to be with her because she's human."

Cameron's words froze Sarah in her tracks. Turning slowly to face the source of her anger, Sarah frowned, feeling her rage increasing with each second.

"What did you say to me?"

"You just want John to be with her because she's human."

"No, what do you mean," an even angrier Sarah shouted.

"Every time Riley comes to the house, her girls are on display. You never say a word to her about advertising. John looks too."

The urge to slap the Cameron nearly overcame Sarah. Cameron hadn't just pushed her button; she'd taken a sledgehammer to it. Sarah's fear of losing John came rushing to the surface, straining her emotional controls. Fighting the red mist, Sarah walked to the door, looking back at Cameron.

"Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes."

 **That Night in the Connor House ...  
**

Sarah flushed the toilet and stumbled back to her bed. Lying down on the sweat drenched sheets Sarah let the cooling air of her fan run over her, drying her skin. As she lay on her back staring at the ceiling, Sarah replayed in her mind for the thirtieth time Cameron's accusation.

" _You just want John to be with her because she's human."_

She didn't like Riley. Nor did Cameron.

It was one of the few things the two females agreed on. Each wanted Riley to go away for different reasons, or so Sarah thought. Cameron said she didn't like Riley because the troublesome girl made the task of protecting John so much more difficult. Now Sarah suspected it was something else as well.

Cameron had responded to the threat of Riley by initially wanting to terminate the girl. Once that option had been forbidden, Sarah had watched Tin Miss do her best to either alienate, frustrate, or anger Riley to the point she abandoned her efforts to be with John. Sarah knew Cameron intimidated Riley, frightened the blonde even.

It struck Sarah suddenly. Cameron was jealous. She resented the attention John paid to Riley. When her normal tactics failed, Cameron had responded to the threat by trying to sexualize herself, seducing John into picking her over Riley.

"Oh, my, Tin Miss. You are really something," Sarah sighed.

 **The Next Morning in the Connor House...**

"John, drive yourself to school this morning. I will bring Cameron later."

"Are you sure Mom?"

"Yes, now scoot. You're going to be late as it is."

John jumped up, eager to exploit his brief time without his protector. He rushed upstairs to brush his teeth and was outside in minutes. Cameron sat in silence at her place at the breakfast table.

Sarah waited until the sound of the truck the kids drove vanished into the distance.

"You made your point Tin Miss."

Cameron looked at Sarah but said nothing.

"She does advertise."

Still Cameron did not speak.

"Why didn't you tell me you were jealous? I know you feel emotions now."

"I'm not jealous."

"Tin Miss, don't lie to me. You most certainly are. I may be John's mother, but I'm a woman."

"It wouldn't have mattered," Cameron replied.

"Maybe, maybe not," Sarah responded. "But I would have dealt with your desire to walk around almost naked in a different manner."

Sarah watched Cameron carefully, looking for any change in the cyborg's expression, demeanor or body language. Finally, Cameron's brow began to wrinkle and the corner of her eyes water. A single tear ran down her right cheek.

"Her girls are so much bigger and John likes them. I told him I would have augmentation surgery but he ordered me to not consider it. I know he wants me to because the reason he said I couldn't was for security, not because the surgery wouldn't make me more appealing. The doctor would discover what I am and we could not risk it."

There was no doubt in Sarah's mind if Cameron had the money and could find a plastic surgeon who could be trusted, Riley would have been the one feeling insecure. For a rare moment, Sarah felt sorry for Cameron. She was a beautiful female, one that garnered no end of male attention. Attention that sometimes caused Sarah to worry it would lead to Cameron's true nature being discovered.

"I think a compromise is in order," Sarah announced. "If you promise me to dress properly all the time, I will set Riley straight about displaying the girls."

"You would do that Sarah?"

Cameron sounded hopeful, almost as if she had found a possible new ally in her own cause to pursue John.

"Only because John doesn't need the distraction and you need to be able to do your job."

"Thank you Sarah. I will make sure my attire meets your approval."

 **The Connor Family Bunker - TechCom City...**

Sarah folded up the purple underwear set and reached in for a matching lacy black set of panties and bra. She laughed at Cameron.

"You are such a conniver Tin Miss."

The sound of the bunker door opening caught Sarah's attention. She looked up to see a smiling Cameron entering the room.

"He's my husband Sarah. I can advertise all I want now."

The two married females looked at each other and laughed.

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

 _These stories are set in the timeline of my other TSCC stories and take place during_ _ **Cameron**_ _ **Grows Up**_ _,_ _ **The Future Cameron**_ _and_ _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ _. Characters from the original TSCC story arc and_ _ **Cameron Grows Up**_ _as well as_ _ **The Future Cameron**_ and _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ _appear in these stories._

 **A Simple Misunderstanding**

 **The Reese Family Bunker - TechCom City...**

"Grandma, there's this girl at school that keeps talking to the twin I like. Mom says I should terminate her but Dad says under no circumstances can I do that. Mom said that even though she disagrees, Dad makes the rules about that sort of thing so termination is off the table."

Sarah rolled her eyes, causing Hailey and Ruth both to laugh. "Your mother. I'm surprised she didn't give you all sorts of ideas about how to deal with a female rival."

"Mom had rivals? How many did she terminate? Are you sure Grandma? Girls fought Mom over Dad?"

"Oh, Hailey, grown women today would fight your Mom over your Dad if Cameron wasn't a Terminator."

"Really?" Hailey and Ruth looked at each other and shared expressions of extreme disgust. "Mom, that's gross," Ruth informed her mother. "John's gross."

"You only think that because he's your brother. When you get older, you'll see your brother in a different light and you'll realize how handsome he is."

The girls made faces at each other again, demonstrating their sense of disgust at the idea any female would show interest in John.

"There was this one young woman when John was in Community College. Derek almost had to intervene to stop the termination." Sarah smiled as she remembered the conflict. "Makes a mother feel nice when females fight over her son. Any how, it was right before your parents got married and Cameron was not about to give John any chances of backing out."

"Did Mom get in a cat-fight and go all Terminator on the girl," Hailey asked hopefully.

"Well, it started like this…

 **Pre-Judgment Day - The Connor Family House**

"John Connor! You have associated with a female predator!"

Sarah and Derek looked quickly at John whose face bore an expression best described as a mixture of horror, fear and denial.

"What are you talking about?" John shouted back, shrugging his shoulders as he did so. He mouthed the words 'I have no clue what she's talking about.'

Cameron stormed into the kitchen where the others were eating. Despite her lack of any expression on her face, it was obvious to them Cameron was annoyed with John. Holding it with both hands, Cameron held up the shirt John had worn to class that day at the local community college. The fingers of her left hand jerking slightly, indicating Cameron was stressed, angry or both.

"That's the shirt I wore to class today," John said evenly.

"I know. How do you think I discovered you spent time in the company of a predator?"

Sarah and Derek watched the exchange, hoping there would be no need to intervene physically.

"Cameron, I have no clue what you are talking about."

"I bet you don't."

Cameron held up her left hand, the palm facing her, displaying the purple diamond engagement ring she wore.

"This is proof of contract. You are mine!"

"Calm down Cameron."

"No! You interacted with a female predator. An alpha female!"

"You're being silly now, Cameron," John replied, starting to get annoyed with his fiancé.

"Am I? I was doing laundry and what do I discover? Channel No. 5. Neither Sarah or I wear that. I also detected female hormones, the analysis of which indicates a female with a strong sex drive. A predator looking for a mate. I will NOT tolerate this John."

Slowly John stood up, not wishing to alarm Cameron. He approached her slowly, taking the shirt from her and setting it down on the table. Cameron glared at him, her eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed. Reaching down, he took her left hand with his right and squeezed it gently, feeling her hand contract against his.

"Let's go upstairs and talk," John said gently.

Cameron frowned at John but followed, grabbing the evidence of his guilt from the table as they left the kitchen. Sarah and Derek listened to the pair's footsteps as they went upstairs to John's room.

"I'm going upstairs," Sarah whispered so Cameron wouldn't hear her. "Just in case." Derek nodded as Sarah quickly and quietly followed the pair upstairs and went to her room.

John sat down on his bed and patted the mattress next to him. Cameron folded her arms across her chest, but sat down. Instead of leaning against John, she sat upright, looking straight ahead.

"Look at me," John said firmly.

"I am furious with you," Cameron monotoned.

"You have a right to be angry, but not at me."

"Your shirt has a woman's perfume on it."

"Not because I wanted it there or did anything to get perfume on my shirt."

"Who is she John? Does she have a big chest like Riley? Is she blonde like Riley? I told you I would get augmentation surgery and dye my hair blonde."

"And I told you no to the surgery and I like your hair the way it is," John snapped.

"Are you denying there is perfume on your shirt?"

"Give," John said, raising his voice slightly.

Cameron handed him the shirt.

John sniffed it and to his surprise, he could smell a faint trace of woman's perfume.

"Well, I'll be… it does have perfume on it."

"I told you I had analyzed it. I can print you a report of my analysis."

"There's no point Cameron. I can smell the perfume and I am sure your correct about the hormones you detected. What I can tell you is I did nothing, and I mean nothing, to encourage any female, predatory or not. I'm not interested."

Cameron glared at John, uncertain how to respond.

"Look, there are lots of attractive females at the community college. I can't do anything about that. But I don't encourage any of them."

"Do you talk to them?"

"Sometimes I have to in class. I have group projects you know that. I have to work with my partners and some of them are female."

"I don't like it John. This female is an alpha predator looking for a mate."

"This male has found his mate. She's his best friend and protector," John said gently, putting his arm around Cameron.

She pushed John away, irritating him.

"Fine, look, I didn't do anything wrong. So, trust but verify, just like we used to. Feel free to drop by the community college anytime, unannounced. I promise Cameron, you won't catch me doing anything wrong."

"I have time in between rehearsals," Cameron monotoned.

"Then drop by," John snapped, frustrated and angry with Cameron. "I shouldn't have to prove my trustworthiness, but if I have to, so be it. Now if you don't mind, I have to study. Alone."

Cameron stood and stared at John, her face blank. John stared back defiantly, almost daring Cameron to continue the argument. Slowly, Cameron began to back away from the bed, maintaining eye contact with John. Reaching the door, she opened it and stepped into the hall, still staring at John.

Annoyed with Cameron, and knowing she would stand there and stare at him until he looked away first, John stood up and turned away as he moved to his desk and sat down. Behind him the door shut quietly.

 **Los Angeles Community College Campus...**

Cameron pulled up in the college parking lot, found a space and parked. The space provided her with an excellent view of the entire parking lot and allowed her to see the most of the buildings on the part of the campus John spent the bulk of his time. A quick scan allowed her to spot Derek's truck, parked half a block off campus.

Annoyed Derek had not identified the predator and sided with her, Cameron took note he was present. The agreement had been while she rehearsed during the day Derek would be responsible for keeping an eye on John. Once Cameron was finished at the ballet company, she would resume her duties as John's protector.

Slowly Cameron scanned the campus. She spotted Derek sitting under a walkway, reading the sports page. She promptly got out of her car, locked it and began walking quickly towards Derek. She sat down on the bench next to him and did not speak. Derek did not flinch or look up from his sports page.

"Cameron, I think you are making much ado about nothing."

"John admitted he could smell the perfume."

"Do you realize how many ways that scent could have gotten on John's shirt."

"Do you realize how hurt I am? Not just because of John. I'm angry with you too."

Derek snapped the top half of his paper down and glared at Cameron.

"At me? I sit here in the heat or rain so John can go to class and you can earn a paycheck as a dancer. I don't recall either of you thanking me either."

"I thought we were past this."

"Past what? You have to not speak in vague sentences."

"You said you were okay with John and I getting married, that you wanted it to be okay for Sarah. And you let this happen? I trusted you Derek Reese. I trusted you to protect my John. That means I trusted you to protect me too."

Cameron stood up and gave Derek a final glare before slipping away among the students moving about between classes.

Folding his paper up, Derek stuck it under his right arm. Shaking his head, he began scanning the campus. He'd have to find a vantage point to watch John emerge from the computer science building onto the open area where students gathered. He'd need to watch John and any female who might approach him. He also needed to spot Cameron so he could prevent any possible altercation.

"Just how crazy is Cameron," Derek muttered as he began walking across the campus. "Blaming me for something I didn't do, didn't see John do and who knows what else."

Derek spent the next hour moving about, trying to spot Cameron and find a vantage point. He finally settled on a second floor window overlooking the covered tables where students would meet to study or drink coffee. John often sat there and worked on his laptop until time to go to his last class of the day.

A flood of students poured out of the different buildings. Some headed towards the parking lot and others towards another classroom building. Still others headed for the campus coffee shop and the covered tables.

John emerged from the computer science building and made his way over to the vending machines by the tables. Derek watched as John fished change out of his pocket and bought himself a soft drink. After retrieving his can from the machine, John found a table and sat down alone.

Opening his backpack, John pulled out a notebook and his laptop, opened it and began working. So far, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. John was following his normal routine.

And then Derek spotted the problem.

Approaching John was a tall, well-proportioned redhead. Derek recognized the girl but not how she was dressed. Normally the redhead wore loose fitting jeans and a college sweatshirt or an old t-shirt and had her hair pulled up in a loose ponytail.

Today she wore high heels, stockings, a form fitting black skirt, an equally form fitting white blouse that revealed ample cleavage. Her flaming red hair was brushed out and styled. She carried a light jacket over her arm as well as a briefcase.

"John's computer science partner," Derek whispered. He ran to the stairway, taking the stairs three at a time as he rushed downstairs. Bursting from the double door exit of the building, Derek stopped for a second to scan the area for Cameron, certain she'd identified her target and was making her approach.

Noticing a large number of male student's heads turning, Derek followed the direction of their glances.

"Target acquired," he muttered to himself. He wasn't surprised Cameron had escaped his direct notice. Tin Miss had changed clothes. Like the competition, she was wearing high heels and stockings along with a black pencil skirt and a purple silk blouse that gave the impression of being see through but not quite. Cameron had styled her hair, leaving it full of body and waves. Her eyes were heavily made up, changing her look, making her sultry, seductive in appearance. The most striking change was Cameron's lips. She'd added a hint of color, a pinkish red lip-gloss that made her lips shine, looking kissable.

The redhead had already sat down at John's table and was laughing as she opened her brief case and withdrew her laptop. Derek watched with concern as the girl reached over and touched John, holding his arm gently for a moment.

"That's how she did it," Derek commented as he hurried, hoping not to draw attention to himself.

A group of students blocked his path, obscuring his view of John and the redhead as well as the path Cameron was taking to approach John. The students finally passed, clearing the way when Derek spotted Cameron again, strolling like he had seen her when she wanted to attract male attention.

He stopped thirty feet away from the table and stepped behind a tree, hoping he was close enough to stop Cameron from doing anything drastic. Derek began thinking of how he could dispose of the body and evade capture long enough to get John away from the crime scene.

Cameron walked up and sat opposite the redhead, crossing her legs, letting the competition see a little of what she was up against. Before John could react, Cameron leaned over, placed her arm around John's neck and pulled him to her, kissing him passionately on the mouth. Releasing John, Cameron scooted closer while slipping her left arm around John's right and leaning closer.

Desperate to hear what was being said, Derek slipped another fifteen feet closer and sat a table, opening his tattered sports page and looking over the top.

"John," Cameron purred, "aren't you going to introduce me? He's not always the most mannered individual, even though I have tried," Cameron said smiling pleasantly at the redhead while her eyes shot lethal daggers. "Oh, well. I'm Cameron, John's fiancée."

Upon announcing her claim to John, Cameron released his arm, moving her left hand over on the table in an obvious display of her engagement ring with its large and rare purple diamond.

A nervous John glanced at the two females who were now openly glaring at each other. "Cameron, this is Miranda. She's my partner for my project this semester in computer science."

"Miranda," Cameron said as if testing the word. "Miranda. That sounds so familiar. Oh, I know, it's a dead planet from a science fiction movie, _Serenity_. This girl named River killed all the monsters to death by hacking them to bits."

"You like science fiction?" Miranda said with a condescending smile. "How quaint. I guess some people like to fantasize about that sort of thing, but people like John and me make the future happen. What do you do," Miranda paused, "Cameron?"

"I am the prima ballerina for the Los Angeles Ballet Company," Cameron replied in a sickly sweet voice.

"How nice, a career that lasts for a few years. I will still be making millions long after you're teaching little girls how to tap-dance."

"Money's nice. If you have someone to share it with." Cameron glared at Miranda, her eyes narrowing, making Derek fold his paper up.

"Oh, I'll have a man to share it with," Miranda said, frowning at Cameron. "In fact, I find John just scrumptious."

Cameron stood up, sitting her purse on the table.

"Sit down Cameron," John ordered, looking around for Derek now that the situation was escalating.

"No. Stay out of this John. I don't want you to get hurt."

Miranda stood up, looking defiantly at Cameron. She slipped her high heels off and sat them next to her laptop.

"I have a black belt in Tae Kwando," Miranda informed Cameron who was in the process of removing her high heels. Carefully Cameron removed her engagement ring and held it out to John. She smiled at him as he took it, whispering, "I'll get it right back."

Moving away from the table into an open area, Miranda smiled as she assumed a fighting stance.

"So, you have a black belt in Tae Kwando? That's all?"

"That's all? What do you mean," Miranda snapped, insulted by Cameron's comment.

"Oh, I have a black belt in Tae Kwando myself. And Kung Fu. And Brazilian Ju Jitsu. Krav Maga. Karate...and a little known fighting system...Terminator."

"Sure you do," Miranda replied, launching a kick at Cameron's face.

"Don't terminate her," John shouted as he began packing up his things.

Cameron easily blocked the kick. Miranda threw several blows, all blocked. Finally, she landed a kick against Cameron's ribs, only to limp away, her toes bleeding from the contact. Cameron pursued, keeping pressure on as she forced Miranda to back away in a circle. Distracted by the pain in her injured foot, Miranda lunged, leaving an easy opening as Cameron blocked the blow.

Neither John nor Derek saw the cobra quick strike Cameron used to shatter the cartilage and bone in Miranda's nose. Blood began to drip down her face as Miranda cried out in pain. Again Miranda attacked and again Cameron struck with lightening quickness, opening a cut over Miranda's right eye.

"He's mine, do you understand," Cameron said in low voice.

"Not if I want him," Miranda hurled back. "And I always get what I want."

"Hey, don't I have anything to say about this," John shouted.

"Shut up John!" both females shouted in unison.

This time Cameron did not wait for Miranda to attack. She launched two successive kicks, striking Miranda in her ribs, ripping her pencil skirt in the process. The wind knocked out of her, Miranda retreated, reaching down to rip her own skirt to allow more freedom of movement.

John and Derek looked around at the gathering crowd of students, largely male. A shout of "cat fight" went out and the male students began urging the two to resume fighting.

"Great, Campus Police will be here in minutes," Derek muttered. "Can you get Cameron to finish this quick? I'm going to have to get you home quick so you can hack into the CCTV system and delete everything."

"He's mine. My John. I don't care who you wind up with you slutty bitch whore, but it won't be my John."

Miranda threw herself at Cameron, clawing at the cyborg's face. Cameron easily moved out of the way, pushing Miranda as she did so, sending the redhead flying past her, tripping her with an extended leg. Landing in a damp, muddy patch of ground, Miranda stood quickly, looking down at her once white blouse, now covered in blood and mud. Enraged, the red mist descended, causing Miranda to snap and attack blindly without control.

Stepping aside again, Cameron tripped her opponent for a second time. This time Cameron followed up by diving on the redhead and placing her in a choke hold. The two struggled in the mud to the delight of the male audience. Cameron straddled Miranda, pinning both of arms over her head with one hand. She slapped Miranda twice, once on each cheek then punched the redhead in the left eye. Desperate to escape from her helpless situation, Miranda tried to bite Cameron, causing Cameron to laugh and punch her directly in the mouth. Teeth, blood and saliva flew from Miranda's mouth.

Grabbing Miranda's hair, Cameron pulled the woman's face to within inches of her own. "He's mine. There is nothing you can do to compete with me. And know this," Cameron said, lowering her voice to a whisper only Miranda could hear. "Nobody will ever find your body if you don't back off."

Miranda's eyes opened as far as possible with the swelling as Cameron smiled, red light shining through her big brown eyes.

"Tomorrow, you're going to withdraw from school and transfer to another college. You will never, and I mean never, look at my John again. If you do, well, you know what happened to the planet named Miranda."

For good measure, Cameron gave a firm yank on Miranda's hair, pulling out a sizeable chunk of hair by the roots, eliciting a scream. Cameron's eyes returned to their normal brown, leaving Miranda muttering gibberish in terror.

Cameron stood up and returned to John's table where she slipped her high heels back on, adjusted her skirt and noticing Miranda's jacket, picked it up and wiped off as much of the mud and grass from her clothes as she could. Smiling at John, she extended her left hand for John to return her engagement ring to. He hurriedly slipped the ring on.

"Meet me at the truck in five minutes," Cameron whispered. "You can miss your last class today."

Turning around, Cameron took a final look at the defeated redhead. Miranda was sitting up, glaring at Cameron with hateful rage. Cameron responded by taking one step in the prone woman's direction, causing her to attempt to scramble away, falling down again in the mud.

Cameron allowed herself to smile for a moment before walking away. The admiring body of males parted in front of her, wolf whistling and making a variety of comments, most obscene in nature. Without looking back, Cameron began to stroll like Marilyn Monroe, attracting more appreciative male attention and the ire of the females present.

"Great, every guy here will remember her," John said in despair.

"No. They'll remember the fight and they'll remember that stroll. But they won't remember her face. John, Cameron's an infiltrator. She knows exactly what she's doing. Now let's go!

 **The Connor Family House - John's Room...**

A knock on his door broke John's concentration.

"Come in."

Cameron opened the door, entered and shut it behind her quietly. She sat down on John's bed in silence.

"Well that's a change." John said, looking at Cameron. "You normally just sneak in and scare me half to death."

"I was right," Cameron said.

"Okay, you were right," John answered, knowing the sooner they talked about Miranda the better.

"Are you sorry?"

"No, I didn't do anything wrong," John insisted.

Cameron frowned and tilted her head, indicating she was confused and needed John to explain.

"Look, first of all, Miranda never dressed like that before. Second, get it through that thick steel skull of yours I am NOT interested in another female."

"You had her perfume on your shirt," Cameron said insistently.

"She was my partner for a project. I was assigned to work with her by my professor, who by the way e-mailed me and said Miranda dropped the class."

"Of course she did," Cameron said frowning. "I ordered her too."

"Cameron, you can't just do things like that," John barked in frustration.

"She was pursuing you."

"So! I wasn't interested in being caught," he shouted.

Cameron's face began to scrunch up, and her eyes began to water.

"Stop it. Turn off your infiltrator program," John ordered.

"You wanted Riley! You pushed me away for her. Now you agreed to be partners with this Miranda. What am I supposed to think when you come home with perfume on your shirt!"

Guilt rolled over John in waves. He stood up and moved to his bed. He reclined and patted the bed next to him. Cameron stretched out as John reached for her, pulling her close.

"You have to trust me," John said gently. "I trust you with my life. Each day when I wake up, I know you have a terminate order. Each day, I trust you to override it."

"I will never try to terminate you again John," Cameron whimpered. "I'm fine now. The damage is repaired. I run my test each morning."

"Shhhhhhh. I know you do. I never even think about it, okay? That's trust. You can trust me like that with our relationship."

"Why did you get so angry?"

"Because you didn't trust me. You hurt me when you didn't trust me."

Cameron tilted her head in confusion. "Please explain."

"How do I do this," John sighed. "Look, you thought I had done something to betray your trust and it upset you. Your emotion simulator started generating all kinds of data that upset you. When you acted like you didn't trust me, it was as if you doubted I love you."

Tears poured from Cameron's eyes. John took a deep breath quickly, expanding his rib cage a mere second before Cameron hugged him tightly, clinging to him. John exhaled leaving himself room to breath while Cameron clung to him.

"It's okay. Look, you got upset and didn't handle it well. I should have respected your fears more and tried to figure out who the mystery female was. Neither of us handled this well."

Cameron nodded.

"Next time, when one of us feels hurt, for the good of our relationship, we have to tell the other what we feel and why. That way, we can trust each other. Okay?"

Cameron nodded again, wiping her eyes. "Thank you for explaining."

For nearly an hour, John held Cameron, letting her cling to him and scan him over and over. She finally relinquished her hold around his chest and sat up.

"I need to cook dinner."

As Cameron stood to leave, John reached out and grabbed her hand. He smiled at Cameron, giving her hand a gentle tug. Puzzled, she sat down.

"We'll be married soon. I promise."

"Okay," Cameron replied, smiling weakly for a brief second.

John scratched Cameron's back for a moment, knowing she loved the sensation. "I didn't go to all those sessions with the priest to back out now."

Cameron frowned, poking John. "I like our priest and the sessions were very helpful."

Not wanting to start another disagreement, John smiled. "I didn't say they weren't."

"Would you please say it," Cameron whispered.

John sat up and kissed her cheek, moving his mouth close to Cameron's ear.

"I love you. You love me."

Cameron leaned her head over against John's face, gently making contact.

She repeated back to John, "I love you. You love me."

 **The Reese Family Bunker - TechCom City...**

"Wow! So Mom was like all Terminator Foo on that Miranda female," Hailey declared with delight. "Cool!"

"Yes," Sarah replied with a smile, "but you're missing the point Hailey."

"If it isn't that Mom kicked that woman's butt, what is the point," Hailey asked.

"The point is, your Mom should have trusted your father. Then she wouldn't have had to kick the woman's butt."

"Oh, I see, I think," Hailey replied. "But it's not like that woman didn't have it coming, hitting on Dad like that an all."

Sarah sighed in frustration.

"Your father had to hack into the college system, delete all the surveillance, and make sure Miranda dropped out of school. Derek had to follow up and threaten her plus pay her hush money. If your mother's cover was blown, she'd have had to resign from the ballet company and then your parents would not have had a source of income while your father went to community college. Never break cover. Never reveal your position to the enemy. If Cameron had terminated Miranda, Greys could have discovered your parent's location and identities."

"Oh," Hailey replied solemnly.

"Cameron should have trusted your father," Sarah said firmly. "He loves her very much and would never cheat on her. Then she should have identified the predatory female, tracked her to her lair, and then kicked her butt without witnesses or surveillance cameras. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Grandma. Think first, then kick butt later. Always cover your tracks and evade pursuit."

"That's my girl," Sarah said, hugging first Hailey and then Ruth tight to her chest.

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Cameron: Fights Past and Present**

 **Chapter Four – A Mother's Approval**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

 _These stories are set in the timeline of my other TSCC stories and take place during_ _ **Cameron**_ _ **Grows Up**_ _,_ _ **The Future Cameron**_ _and_ _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ _. Characters from the original TSCC story arc and_ _ **Cameron Grows Up**_ _as well as_ _ **The Future Cameron**_ and _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ _appear in these stories._

 **After Judgment Day – TechCom City Central Park…**

Cameron decided an appropriate display of public affection would be acceptable under the circumstances. It was good for the citizens of TechCom to see affection, occasionally, between their two ranking commanders. Her John had told her so repeatedly.

As she moved close enough to her John to make physical contact, Cameron's optical sensors detected the arrival of Hailey and her twin, along with Ruth and the other twin. Cameron leaned against her husband who absentmindedly put his arm around her. Resting her head on her John's shoulder, Cameron maintained video surveillance of the two girls and their dates, the twins, Thomas and Daniel.

Tonight was the first film shown in TechCom Central Park since the raid by the force from Airbase S-14. John Henry's engineers and construction crews had worked around the clock to repair the damage, both inside and above ground to their city.

John had decided to let Catherine have a moment as a mother, proud as she was of her son. The T-1000 would be the member of the leadership council that praised John Henry and his workers for the efforts in restoring the most popular location in TechCom City. It would also allow him a rare evening with his wife in public where the two of them were just another pair of citizens enjoying a movie in the park.

Cameron listened to John munching on his popcorn. Registering the smell, she analyzed the salt content and frowned. An adjustment to her John's breakfast would be necessary to counteract the evening's salt intake.

Locating the seats Hailey and Ruth had taken, she scanned the perimeter wall, locating the Old Man. Spotting her daughter's T-600 protector had taken up his post in an unobtrusive location, Cameron decided she would only check on Hailey, and perhaps Ruth, twice during the film. Setting her chronometer to remind her to check on the girls, Cameron nestled against her John, ready to enjoy their date.

A double feature was the order of the evening. The first film was a so-called futuristic film featuring an actor everyone liked to tease Wilhelm about, claiming he was the spitting image of the action-adventure star. After _The Running Man_ , which her John liked, was the classic film _Key Largo_ , staring Humphrey Bogart, one of her favorite films by her favorite actor.

Catherine stood up before the large group of citizens, briefly praised her son and his team and announced as per the tradition, old pre-views and commercials would be shown before the first film. Having seen all of these before, Cameron tuned them out and considered the issue that had consumed significant portions of her processing time that day.

 _Hailey._

She and Ruth would graduate soon. Both had indicated they intended to serve fulltime in the TechCom military. Hailey had no idea of what type of vocational training she wished to pursue, a topic of frequent discussion between the mother and daughter, and Ruth had indicated an interest in studying fine arts.

Given the pressures and needs of TechCom's ever growing society, its military was stressed in many ways, having to serve at times double duty. Once they had completed their basic training and finished specialty school, the girls would attend night school to complete their advanced education. Hailey planned to serve in Wilhelm's airborne, a fact that pleased her father. Ruth planned to serve in Sarah's Recon Forces group, another elite branch.

Cameron was pleased with her daughter's decision to enter the military. John was still pondering how the government of TechCom was going to deal with replacing its chief executive. Cameron hoped for a military form of a parliamentary monarchy. If this was to be the case, service in the elite branch would stand well in the future if Hailey were to become General.

It also meant the selection of her mate was even more important. Not just for a happy marriage and healthy grandchildren, something that surprised Cameron the first time she considered it, but for a partner to serve as second in command. Thomas was fine for a boyfriend now, but Cameron was having serious doubts about the twin in terms of long-term suitability. The same held true for Ruth. Derek and Sarah had similar concerns about Ruth's twin Daniel.

The opening credits for _The Running Man_ began rolling across the screen. Cameron had never really liked science fiction films. The obvious gaps in logic or implausible technology and science ruined the story for her. Dystopian films set in the future were not high on her list either. Living in her own dystopian present was enough trouble for Cameron to contend with.

Snuggling a final time to get comfortable and as close to her John as possible, Cameron pulled up her HUD. She started a quick scan of John for good measure, knowing he would not notice now that the film had started.

Concerned about Hailey's future, in particular the choice of male partner, Cameron decided to consult the most reliable source of maternal advice she had, Sarah. As she flipped through files on her HUD, Cameron resisted smiling externally.

By many standards, Sarah was not a normal mother. Sarah herself would not encourage Cameron to use her as a role model. None of this changed the fact Sarah was the Connor family matriarch. Theirs was not a normal family in a Before-Judgment Day sense. By the standards of a Post-Judgment Day family, theirs was healthy, reasonably happy and well adjusted. Sad perhaps, but the world had changed.

What was more, Sarah was the closest thing Cameron had to a mother. Sarah had guided Cameron through her difficult years of emotional development as best she could. It had not been a task Cameron would wish on anyone now that she was the parent of a teenaged female herself. Conflict between the two had been constant and wide ranging. Cameron's files and programming were only effective to a point. She'd had to learn everything else and Sarah, more often than not, had been her teacher.

Finding the file she had been looking for on her HUD, Cameron paused, not quite certain she wanted to watch the file. The few times she'd ever replayed it had been emotional for her. Making a public display of her emotions was never something Cameron enjoyed. A quick glance at Hailey leaning against her twin just as Cameron was her John, reminded her what was at stake.

Cameron opened the file and played the digital video.

 **Before Judgment Day – Connor Family Home…**

"John, Derek, I left money for the two of you to go out to eat. Be home by 11:00. I want to leave to scout the manufacturing plant no later than midnight."

Cameron noted the verbal instructions from Sarah, curious about the change in the schedule for the night.

"Tin Miss, you're coming with me. Girls evening out."

Cameron looked up at Sarah, noting her attire. She was dressed casually, in black and grey as was normal for her. She'd donned her black jacket. Cameron was dressed in blue jeans and a green crop top with her favorite steel plated black boots. She stood without question and walked to the coat rack and took her purple leather jacket off its hook. As she slipped it on, Cameron looked through the family's gun cabinet, selecting her .22 caliber pistol with purple grips that Sarah had given her, storing it in her purple leather purse. Two knives and one of her Glock-17s were the only other weapons Cameron selected.

"No fighting in bars Mom! Keep my fiancée out of trouble, okay?"

"John," Sarah grimaced, "that was only one time."

"Yeah, and Mary and Grace were there too."

"Let's go Tin Miss," Sarah ordered, shaking her head at her son.

Not wanting to let Sarah drive, Cameron reached into her purse and retrieved the keys to the SUV she and John used. "I'll drive."

Sarah shot Cameron a dirty look but thought better of saying anything. Tin Miss had a rough evening ahead, there was no reason to start a fight now.

 **Palacio's Italian Restaurant…**

"Why are we here?"

Sarah watched the departing waiter who had taken their order. Cameron had ordered a salad, only a small portion of which would be consumed. Deciding she deserved comfort food, Sarah had ordered lasagna and a chef's salad. Avoiding Cameron's question for the moment, Sarah picked up a bread stick and took a bite.

Cameron waited. Sarah would answer her question when ready. Not before.

Finished chewing, Sarah swallowed. She reached across the table with both hands and took Cameron's left hand.

"This is hard for me," Sarah started, "but I have to have this conversation with you."

Puzzled, Cameron tilted her head as she tried to retract her left hand. Sarah gripped the hand firmly, not allowing Cameron to retract her arm.

Lifting her right hand, Sarah looked down at Cameron's slender hand, focusing on the beautiful engagement ring with its purple diamond.

"I know I helped John pay for this. It's a beautiful ring."

Cameron's processor began sensing data indicating her stress and anxiety levels were increasing.

"I have done nothing wrong," Cameron monotoned.

"This is not about anything you've done," Sarah replied gently. "It's about the future. John's future."

Cameron nodded, more confused than before.

"I need to be sure you are…I need to be sure this marriage will work. That you are right for John."

Cameron yanked her hand from Sarah's. Her eyes flashed red in anger, her face showing no other emotion. Sarah did not react.

"You gave your blessing," Cameron stated bluntly.

"Tin Miss, you and I have had our share of differences. We've both made mistakes and we've both come a long way together. It's hard for me to admit, but I've even grown fond of you."

"Then why are you questioning my suitability as John's bride now?"

Sarah looked away, watching the different couples and families in the restaurant. Cameron sensed Sarah was making a decision, one that could change both of their lives.

"I don't know if you're up to the task."

Sarah turned to face Cameron, her expression one of commitment.

"I know in your own way you love John. I feel good about your ability to protect him. I'm also more or less over the fact you tried to kill him. It doesn't bother him, so I'm not going to let it bother me.

You've learned to fit in better. I appreciate everything you've taken on around the house. You've been invaluable in our fight against Skynet. Even Derek agrees with that.

I also can't tell you how proud I am of how you've developed as a dancer in such a short period of time. I never thought I would be part of a family involved in the arts. You've given that gift to our family."

Cameron stared at Sarah. Confused and feeling betrayed by her matriarch.

"I thought I had earned acceptance. I thought I had earned your trust."

"Tin Miss, in many ways, as hard as it is for me, you have. You make John happy. I will never be able to explain to you what that means to me. You bring a stability to his life he's never had, that I cannot provide him."

"Then why are you questioning our engagement?"

"It's about the future, Cameron. The future neither of us can predict. What if we cannot stop Skynet from coming on line? What if Judgment Day comes? When it is time for you to stand by John as he leads the Resistance, will you be able to overcome the hatred for metal?"

Sarah's words registered with her CPU, setting off numerous programs, calculating and considering what had been said.

"You've told me about Future John. Neither of us wants John to become that man. You've also told me about how the Resistance viewed you and let's be honest, it wasn't positive for the most part. Derek certainly had no faith in future Cameron when he came back. Jesse orchestrated the entire plot to separate you and John. Will the two of you be happy in the future if you are married? Will John be able to lead the Resistance? Will he be able to rule when the Resistance wins? Can all of this happen if you are his wife?"

Cameron sat in silence, considering the words Sarah had just spoken. She placed her left hand below the table to hide her glitch. Her stress became such her entire body twitched several times and Cameron began blinking her eyes.

"This is bigger than you and my son. What point is there in winning the war with Skynet if we fail to survive afterwards."

Sarah watched as the machine who loved her son shook, her brow frowning and her eyes filling with water. It broke her heart to do this to Cameron, but it had to be done.

"I know you will never leave John. You will always be his friend, his protector and his military advisor. I would never ask you to remove yourself from his life. That would be wrong. Wrong for John and wrong even for you. But you must convince me you can stand by him as his wife in the future and overcome these challenges. Otherwise, there will be no marriage."

Her words seemed to calm the cyborg. Cameron stopped blinking and the occasional twitch stopped. Cameron wiped the tears from her eyes and picked up a breadstick and took a small bite. She chewed slowly, giving the impression of thinking.

Minutes passed in silence and the waiter brought their food. Sarah waited patiently for Cameron to speak, but no words were forthcoming. Finally she started eating her salad, letting her lasagna cool.

"I cannot see the new future. We've changed the timeline too much. I only know John believed humanity and machines cannot survive without each other. We must live together. He believes this more strongly than he believes Skynet will be defeated."

"Tell me Cameron, how can you, or John, know this is possible?"

"Neither of us can know for certain, nor can you Sarah."

"You have to convince me Cameron. Convince me this is more likely to work than it is to fail. Do you understand this is more than just you and John?"

Cameron twitched again. She'd studied so many possibilities, so many scenarios, but never the one Sarah was concerned about. The survival of the society John believed was the only way life would continue on earth. Her HUD dropped down and Cameron desperately flipped through her directory, engaging every file she could that might possibly help in answering Sarah's question.

If Cameron could answer her question, she would. Sarah knew the pretty cyborg was not avoiding giving her an answer. Cameron would process the question and do nothing else until she could deliver an answer, devoting all of her processing capability to the problem.

A quick test of the lasagna proved it had cooled enough to eat. Sarah dug in, enjoying the food. It was good, not as good as Cameron's, but good nonetheless. As she worked her way through her meal, Sarah realized Cameron had not moved since she'd started processing the last question. Nudging Cameron's toe brought the killing machine back to the present.

"You need to maintain cover. I really don't mind you processing. I know you need to. But you have to maintain cover."

Cameron nodded and set the protocols for her to eat her salad, allowing her to return to processing her answer to Sarah's question.

Deciding she needed additional data, Cameron tilted her head and asked," What does Derek think?"

"Derek is conflicted. He see's the positives of your relationship with John. He has told me he supports the marriage, but I have suspicions that might be so I can be at peace with it. Derek is concerned about my mental stability if I lose John. I will tell you this much, he respects you as a warrior."

"Do you respect me?"

Cameron's question slammed into Sarah. It was one she'd never asked herself. The pair stared at each other for several minutes in silence, each deep in thought.

"Yes. Yes, I do Cameron. You frustrate me. You frighten me and I have issues with a lot of things about you. But you have earned my respect. You've been good for John and for our family. Life is not easy for our family, but you've never once shown any hesitation to step up to the challenge."

"Then I will be a good wife to John. It will work."

Sarah laughed at the sudden response.

"Just like that, you're certain."

"No, it will not happen just like that."

"Then how will it happen Tin Miss?"

"The same way it happened with you and Derek."

"Excuse me?"

"I will earn the respect and trust of TechCom. I am better equipped to do that now than I was with Future John. You have taught me much of what I need to know. My conflicts with Derek have been instructional as well."

"So, just like that, problem solved?"

"No. It will be hard. Harder than what I went through with you and Derek."

"What makes you think you can do it then? I'm still not sold."

"I will have John."

"Cameron, the point of this is not to take John from you. It is to make sure John can lead, possibly rule. He might need a human wife to accomplish that. After Riley, I'm not sure you can cope with that."

Cameron tilted her head, her confusion obvious.

"You and Derek will not be with us? To guide us? John needs more guidance than from just me."

"Cameron, who knows who will survive Judgment Day. I wasn't there before."

Cameron shook her head as if trying to clear the emotions she was feeling from her CPU. She sat in silence for several more minutes before seeming to make a decision.

"John's vision cannot come to pass without me standing with him as his wife, not just his protector or mistress, but his mate."

"Convince me," Sarah said, relieved Cameron seemed to have found a solution.

"Would you trust him to lead TechCom into the future with a human wife if you were a machine?"

"Excuse me?"

"Would you trust John to lead a hybrid society if you were a human, asking other humans to trust Terminators as fellow citizens, possibly family members, if his wife was human? John's marriage to me is a public demonstration of what must happen for humanity and machine to survive togrether. There is no closer friendship, no closer relationship than husband and wife. The leader of a fledgling hybrid society must show his commitment to the success of the society. There is no greater commitment that John can demonstrate."

Now the burden of decision fell to Sarah. Was Cameron right? Would John fail if Cameron was not his bride? Reprogrammed Terminators were going to be a key to the Resistance's survival and hoped for victory. Cameron had spoken of Terminators who would join TechCom after developing free will. So had Catherine.

Would they trust a human leader? A leader who said one thing but did another, a leader whose mother was a legend amongst the Resistance as the greatest metal hater of all time. A leader whose Uncle was also a legendary metal hater. Cameron's devotion to John was powerful and obvious to everyone who knew them. Her open display of trust would influence the Terminators under her command.

It didn't take long for humans to pick up on John's affection for Cameron either. Sarah sighed. It was said love was a more powerful motivator than hate. Perhaps the pair would have enough love for each other to overcome the hate for what their marriage represented. Enough love to convince those they led to accept them and the changes in social structure needed for all involved to survive.

Letting the marriage take place was a gamble, not with just the future, but with John's life. There would be those in both camps who would want him dead for taking Cameron as his wife. Then of course, those individuals would have to deal with Cameron. The thought made Sarah smile. Once they were married, Cameron would have more to protect. Not just John, but her marriage to John.

"Sarah?"

"Cameron's questioning tone pulled Sarah back to the present.

"What Tin Miss?"

"You will be with me to help, won't you?"

Sarah looked down at the table. Cameron had placed her left hand back on the table. It was gently twitching. Sarah smiled and took Cameron's hand in hers again.

"For as long as I'm alive Tin Miss. For as long as I'm alive."

Cameron gave Sarah a rare, genuine smile, lasting nearly five seconds in duration.

"Now, Tin Miss, there's another matter we need to talk about. Again."

Sarah watched as Cameron looked down quickly, again unsure of herself.

"You want a grandchild."

 **TechCom Central Park…**

Cameron closed the file. It was a painful memory she had not reviewed since just before Judgment Day. She'd never had a reason to revisit the hurtful conversation.

Now Cameron understood why Sarah had forced the issue. The review of the file all these years later had shown Cameron Sarah's concern was not about Cameron being an unfit bride for John, even though she was a machine, a Terminator. Sarah had accepted the fact the pair had bonded. It was about the bigger picture. About John's responsibilities in the future. Would Cameron be able to shoulder her share of the wider leadership burden as his wife?

Thomas treated Hailey well and was respectful to John and Cameron. Hailey liked Thomas a great deal. In fact, she'd had a crush on the twin since the two were quite young. The fact Ruth dated Thomas' twin brother Daniel was also a plus. The four of them were close and spent a good deal of their free time together.

The Old Man was still ever vigilant over the girls, but had become more accepting of the twins, only feeling the need to threaten them occasionally. The T-600's approval weighed heavily with John and Cameron as it did with Sarah and Derek. Cameron knew the old Terminator wished to serve as the protector to Hailey and Ruth's offspring. The very idea having done a great deal to lessen his anxiety over not having purpose when the girls graduated and entered the military. John had made it clear to everyone the girls were to receive no preferential treatment once they enlisted. They would have to rise up through the ranks on their own merit. The Old Man would not be allowed to protect them further.

 _The Running Man_ ended and Catherine rose to announce a fifteen-minute intermission. With nothing more than a quick glance at the Old Man, Cameron communicated to the T-600 she needed him to keep an eye on the girls during the intermission.

Scanning the crowd, Cameron spotted Sarah and Derek mingling with other citizens. She stood and leaned over, kissing John on his cheek. "I need to talk to Sarah for a minute."

A concerned expression came over John's face, highlighting the crow's feet around his eyes and the worry lines on his forehead. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I need to have a girl talk."

Relief flooded John's face. Her husband lived with unending stress. Cameron decided she and Sarah could carry this burden for him for a brief while.

She made her way quickly to Sarah and Derek, taking Sarah by the arm when she arrived, wrapping her own arm around the matriarch's.

"Derek I need Sarah for a girl talk. Please keep an eye on John for me?"

Sarah shot Derek a knowing look, silencing any objection he might have.

"No problem. I'll keep the predatory females away."

Cameron frowned at Derek, letting him know she did not appreciate his attempt at humor. She led Sarah to an open area where the two could speak and not be overheard.

"What's wrong Tin Miss?"

"I am concerned about Thomas and Hailey."

"Has he been inappropriate with Hailey? I'm sure John won't mind if a few injuries are inflicted to remind him to be a gentleman."

"Nothing like that Sarah. The Old Man and Ellison maintain constant surveillance when John and I are not able to do so personally."

"I see." Sarah replied, her tone implying she knew what Cameron wanted to discuss. "This is the Italian restaurant conversation you want to talk about."

"Am I wrong to be concerned?"

"No," Sarah sighed. "Goes with the territory in our family. Let's go sit down. We're not going to resolve this in a few minutes."

John watched as his mother and wife made their way to a bench against the wall of the park. He looked at his uncle sitting next to him eating popcorn.

"Cameron's finally figured out we're going to have to build a fire under the twins if they want to keep dating our daughters."

"You think?" Derek laughed, tossing a piece of popcorn up in the air and catching it with his mouth.

"Nobody is good enough for our girls. But they are smitten with the twins. Those boys have a long way to go if they want to lead."

"Well, I say we don't rock the boat until the wives can't stand it any longer. I'm enjoying things with Ruth right now. That will change soon enough."

John considered the strong willed, stubborn, combative nature of Hailey, particularly the sharp tongue she possessed. "Yeah, I'm thinking it can wait too."

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	3. Ch 3 - A Mother's Approval - Conclusion

**Cameron: Fights Past and Present**

 **Chapter Five – A Mother's Approval – Part II**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

 _These stories are set in the timeline of my other TSCC stories and take place during_ _ **Cameron**_ _ **Grows Up**_ _,_ _ **The Future Cameron**_ _and_ _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ _. Characters from the original TSCC story arc and_ _ **Cameron Grows Up**_ _as well as_ _ **The Future Cameron**_ and _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ _appear in these stories._

 **Reese Family Bunker…**

A knock broke the silence. The bunker door opened and the family's battered T-600 entered, paused and came to attention.

"The twins are here as ordered."

"Thank you," Sarah replied.

The Old Man stepped aside and motioned for the twins to enter. Neither moved fast enough to satisfy the oft-repaired Terminator, causing the T-600 to flinch as if intending to strike. The twins promptly sped up their entrance into the bunker, casting fearful glances in the direction of their girlfriend's nightmarish protector.

Sarah struggled to keep a straight face at the twin's reaction to the girl's protector. The Old Man had long ago been given strict, specific protocols regarding what actions on the part of the twins allowed physical harm or termination. So long as the two were behaved as gentlemen with the girls and did nothing to endanger Ruth and Hailey, the twins were safe from any harm.

Nothing in the protocols prevented the Old Man from scaring the two twins when he felt like it, a point of contention with the girls. John and Derek felt the absence of any such protocol was not only wise, but also a source of much fun for the fathers and the T-600. It didn't hurt for twins to keep an eye open and to be on their best behavior at all times, never knowing if the Old Man would appear suddenly and end their existence.

Cameron had explained to the girls the constant threat of bodily injury or termination was an excellent indicator the twins did in fact like the girls a great deal. Why else would they risk life and limb to date them?

The fact the girl's first two suitors now lay in shallow graves in the TechCom graveyard was not lost on every male of an age suitable to court Hailey and Ruth. Both traitors had met their demise at the hands of Cameron, with the traitor Trevor meeting a particularly horrifying fate in the eyes of any male.

Complaining their fathers were scary enough, Hailey and Ruth had demanded, and failed, to have the "rules of engagement" as the Old Man referred to them altered as they had matured and grown older. The constant bickering between parents and daughters had not ended until the girls realized their protector was often no longer visible or easily located when they were out on dates. An arrangement the girls believed their parents had ordered.

Realizing his days as the girls protector were drawing to a close, the Old Man had decided it might be in his best interests if the girls found husbands sooner rather than later. The sooner the girls produced grandchildren for their parents, the sooner he would again be pressed into service protecting the offspring of the Connor/Reese clan. Having taken it upon himself to be less obtrusive when the girls were on dates, the T-600 had balanced his change in tactics by making it a point to intimidate the twins at every chance he got, just to make sure they remembered the rules.

And so it was that he had delivered the twins eight minutes early for their appointment with the mother's of his charges. The T-600 moved silently to shut the bunker door and then take up position in a corner where he would watch unobtrusively.

"Please, take a seat boys. I have some cookies Cameron baked," Sarah said sweetly, much like the spider to the fly.

Without a word, the twins sat down and picked up a cookie each and began eating. Cameron sat down and began staring. It took less than thirty seconds for Thomas to feel anxious. Ruth's Daniel did not begin to feel uncomfortable until Sarah sat down and joined the staring contest.

"Do you have any idea why we asked you here," Cameron asked bluntly.

"No ma'am," Thomas replied with a mouth full of cookie.

"You don't," Cameron monotoned.

A nervous Thomas replied with a questioning tone, "should I?"

Cameron responded with silence and a Terminator Death Glare.

"Boys, we asked you here for a very specific reason," Sarah said firmly. "Our daughters."

The twins glanced at each other, obviously confused.

"We don't think you have done anything inappropriate, if that is what you are concerned about," Sarah told the twins, smiling at them.

Sarah's affirming words relaxed the twins like a balloon leaking air. Cameron promptly inflated the twin's anxiety again by telling them, "but there are many things you have not done that should have been."

"Commander Connor, I really do not understand why Daniel and I are here, and why we are in trouble, because it seems like that's the situation we're in."

"You are not in trouble, per se Thomas. But your relationship with Hailey might be if things do not change. Daniel, the same is true for your relationship with Ruth."

The quieter of the two twins looked at Cameron and then Sarah, his face the picture of a young man who is truly perplexed.

"I always treat Ruth well. I know she worries about being in a mixed relationship, her being a T-1000 and all. So, I make sure I always try to do one thing that let's her know how special I think she is when we are together. And I'm not about to do anything inappropriate with Ruth. Not because of the Colonel or the Old Man either, though I respect them both, even if they scare me a little."

"This is not about how you treat Ruth," Sarah said gently. "Boys, this meeting is not about how either of you treat our daughters. If that was an issue, neither of you would be dating our girls and I am quite confident the girls would have ended the relationships, not us."

"Then what is the meeting about," Thomas asked. "I feel like we're in front of a tribunal and we don't know what we've been accused of."

"When I was your age, a senior in school, the General and I had made decisions about our future together. Since Judgment Day, those types of decisions are more critical and impact more people. Do you have any idea what I am talking about," Cameron monotoned.

"I know you and the General married before Judgment Day, Commander. Everybody in TechCom knows that," a nervous Thomas replied.

"Sarah Connor questioned our decision to marry, did you know that?"

The twins looked at each other, communicating in silence as only twins can.

"No, ma'am" the twins replied in unison.

"The General and I had to prove to Sarah our union would not only work, but that the two of us would be up to the task of leading TechCom and defeating Skynet. We had to prove we could support ourselves if Judgment Day did not come to pass. In particular, I had to prove to Sarah my being metal would help the General and not hurt him in his efforts as leader of TechCom."

Having nothing to say to Cameron, the pair sat quietly, fidgeting in their chairs while Sarah watched them carefully.

"It hurt me a great deal for Sarah to question me, to question if I could succeed as my John's wife. Not as his mate, but as his partner as a leader of TechCom."

Cameron sat in silence, letting the weight of her words settle upon the twins. Sarah watched, studying the teenage boy's reactions.

"I had to know Cameron would make John stronger, better, more effective as the General," she explained. "I knew they were close. I knew they were inseparable as friends, that Cameron would protect my son with her life. As hard as it was for me to accept my son loved a Terminator, my questioning of their decision to marry was not about the relationship between the two of them. Cameron had to prove to me she could carry her share of the burden with my son."

Looking sternly first at Daniel and then Thomas, Sarah continued. "The survival of the human race depended on John. If Cameron could not enhance his leadership, she could not be his mate, his wife. She could be a protector and friend, but nothing more."

"But, the General and the Commander are married," a baffled Daniel spit out. "Ruth says her brother is all goofy about Cameron, no disrespect intended Commander. Ruth means it in a good way."

"We are not questioning your feelings for our daughters," Cameron monotoned. "Only your worthiness to become spouses, if that is each of your intent in regard to Hailey and Ruth."

Again the twins looked at each other and communicated in silence.

Thomas stuck his right index finger under the collar of his shirt and stretched it, clearly nervous about speaking.

"My brother and I really like Hailey and Ruth. A lot. We haven't talked to them about this, but we sort of hoped after a couple of years of service in the military they might want to make things formal and eventually permanent."

"You think you might wish to pursue Hailey and Ruth for marriage," Cameron stated in her blunt manner.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Then why have you not done more to prepare for the future," Cameron demanded.

"Prepare for the future?" a puzzled Thomas said.

"Yeah, what's to prepare for really? We're graduating soon, and then we have a little time before basic training. After basic, we have to go to infantry school and then we specialize," Daniel explained.

"That's it," Sarah said in response, her eyebrows tilted upwards; frustrated the twins were clearly not grasping what the two mothers were implying. "You really don't understand what we are talking to you about do you?"

"No, ma'am, I guess we don't," Thomas replied, a hint of irritation creeping into his voice.

"It's like this then," a Sarah snapped, her quick temper flaring up. "The Connor/Reese Clan has the responsibility of leading TechCom. Just who do you think will take the place of the General and the Commander? Who will take Colonel Reese's place? My place? This burden of responsibility falls on our family and WE WILL NOT step away from it!"

"Hailey and Ruth must have spouses equal to the task, just as I had to be equal to the task and Colonel Reese had to be equal to the task," Cameron said in an even, measured commanding tone. "Your treatment of our daughters is commendable and valued greatly. It speaks well of your character. Your failure to achieve at a higher level in school, particularly in the areas of leadership, ethics and engineering are disappointing. We live in a hybrid society. Those who lead, must be exceptional in those areas."

"You have shown almost no initiative to improve as leaders, to demonstrate the ability to provide and care for our daughters as mere husbands," Sarah said with great sternness, frowning as she crossed her arms across her chest.

"But, we enlisted," Daniel protested. "And we aren't bad students either."

Cameron opened a folder on the table despite having already memorized its contents. "All commendable. But neither of you indicated an interest in NCO school or OCS upon completion of basic training. Unacceptable. You must not only learn to lead, you must earn the right to be promoted. Nothing will be given to you and much will be expected, demanded even."

"With all due respect, we're just kids," Thomas protested.

Cameron slammed the folder shut. Both of her eyes flashed blue as she scowled for a second. "You are men in this world. Judgment Day has changed everything. Again, the issue is not how you treat our daughters. Do not misunderstand that. Sarah and I and the girl's father's, and the Old Man, value that. The fact you have enlisted is to your credit and yes, your grades are not horrible."

"The problem is," Sarah snapped, tilting her head as she spoke, "that you don't have the vision to see what will be required of our daughters. And as a result, you have not considered what will be required of you to be worthy of Ruth and Hailey. Leaders of TechCom have the ability to think in broader patterns than the two of you seem to."

"Do you have feelings of affection for our daughters," Cameron demanded.

"Uh, yes," Thomas replied. "Hailey means everything to me."

"Same with Ruth," Daniel stuttered.

"Consider yourself put on notice," Cameron commanded. "Prove to us you are worthy, that you will become men who can lead TechCom with Hailey and Ruth. That you will provide them with the help and support they will need when the time comes."

"You are not kids," Sarah said loudly. "There will be more wars. There are more Skynets and more rogue units like the one at Airbase S-14. At some time in the future, Hailey and Ruth will have to take command. You must prove you will be ready as well when that time comes."

"And if we don't," Thomas asked.

Cameron glared in silence. Sarah shook her head before she spoke, "the girls will be finding new boyfriends."

The bunker door opened and the Old Man entered. The twins took his appearance to mean they were dismissed. As the door closed, Sarah sighed.

"That was no fun. I didn't like it when I had to talk to you about this and I didn't like this."

Cameron reached over for Sarah's hand and firmly took it in her grasp. "I realize now Sarah how much you loved John. I also realize how fortunate the people of TechCom are that you had the vision and courage to challenge me. I even believe what you did demonstrated love for me. You challenged me to be the exact wife John needed, not the wife I wanted to be. I have never forgotten what you expected of me and it made me a better wife."

Sarah smiled at Cameron, tears running from her eyes. "It's just so hard. And Ruth is not you Cameron. She will be just as lethal in time, but she doesn't have your confidence." Sarah laughed. "I guess being raised by humans and never being under Skynet's thumb has its disadvantages, my poor Ruth."

"Never say that," Cameron said quickly. "I lacked confidence too. Sometimes I still do. You did the right thing and we did the right thing."

"I hope so," Sarah replied, wiping her eyes.

"And I hope the boys got the message and get their acts together," Cameron told Sarah. "I don't want to have to do that again. Especially to nice boys like the twins. John and I really like Thomas. I think the Old Man even likes him a little too."

 **TechCom Male Dormitory…**

Thomas flicked the light switch off in the small two-person room. He dove on his narrow bed, landing on his stomach. He turned on his side to face his brother. One look at his twin's face and Thomas started shaking his head.

"No way. Cameron had no right to get on me about that stuff. Just like Miss Sarah had no business getting on you either. This is between the girls and us. Their moms can just butt out!"

Daniel grimaced and shook his head.

"Oh, so you're okay with what went down? I can't believe you!" Thomas exclaimed rolling on his back so he didn't have to look at his twin.

A deep sigh escaped from Daniel.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Thomas sat up on his rickety, narrow bed.

Daniel stared at his brother intently for a moment and then rolled on his back, placing his arms behind his head and staring at the ceiling.

Thomas stared at his brother, dismayed at their situation.

"We're going to have to tell the girls. Have to."

Daniel snapped his head to his right and glared at Thomas.

"A test? What do you mean this is a test?"

A quick shake of his head was Daniel's reply.

"Oh, I see, you think Miss Cameron and Miss Sarah actually like us?"

Daniel did not respond to his twin's question. He simply stared at the ceiling.

Thomas lay back down and mimicked his brother's position.

"They have a point I guess," Thomas finally admitted. "The girls are sort of the logical choices to lead when the time comes."

Daniel yawned and blinked several times, rubbing his right eye.

Thomas yawned in response and rubbed both eyes.

"Don't get the idea you're the smart one," Thomas blurted out.

A broad grin spread across Daniel's face. Thomas reached for his hairbrush on a small wooden box at the end of his bed and threw it at his twin. Daniel ducked in plenty of time, causing the brush to miss.

"Okay, I see your point. I don't have to like it though. I mean, it's not right. Them telling us what to do and all."

Daniel shook his head again and rolled on his side, his back facing Thomas.

"Look, just because they're responsible for everyone in TechCom City doesn't mean they can…"

Thomas fell silent, embarrassed by the sudden realization of what his brother was telling him. "We might be responsible for everyone one day."

"See, my point exactly," Daniel said softly. "Good night twin. Get some rest. We have a lot to do tomorrow."

 **The Reese Family Bunker…**

"Did Cameron and I screw up?"

Derek thought for a moment. "No," he replied, pulling a tense Sarah close. "I'm not going to let him know for a long time, but I like Daniel. I think he's good for Ruth. But we have to think about all of TechCom, not just Ruth, as unfair as that may seem."

"I just want to be a mother and grandmother. I just want our Ruth to be happy and find a spouse. I'm not worried about Hailey."

"Sarah, Ruth can't help it that she wants a human spouse. Look at our Tin Miss. That's worked out fine, better than either of us ever thought it would. And that is why you were right to lay down the law to Daniel. He's attracted to Ruth, knows she's metal and treats her well. What's more, the Old Man told me, if the girls have to get married, the twins sort of come close to passing muster."

Derek felt some of the tension leave Sarah's body as she laughed. "Oh, that poor old T-600. What are we going to do with him when the girls are gone?"

"Hope Cameron gets pregnant."

Sarah looked at Derek in shock for a moment. The serious expression on his face made her wonder if he was kidding. She watched as the left corner of his mouth twitched upwards.

"Oh, you!" she exclaimed as she hit Derek on his chest. He laughed and kissed her forehead.

"I'm in no hurry for the girls to get married and have kids," he chuckled, "but the Old Man might be." After laughing at the girl's stalwart protector for a minute or so, the two fell silent.

"He's going to have a harder time than us."

"Yes, Sarah, he is."

 **The Connor Family Bunker…**

"You're awful quiet tonight."

"I am uncertain if Sarah and I handled the situation in the best possible manner."

"Look, Derek and I would have scared them witless, gotten angry with them and tossed them out with orders to leave TechCom City and never return."

"John, be serious."

"I am. You deal with this sort of thing much better than I do. I do not like boys around our little girl. I have the urge to "terminate" just like you do when it comes to protecting me."

Cameron looked at John and decided she deserved to snuggle close and have her back scratched. With a quick nudge and she was draped on John and comfortable.

"Scratch my back. I had a hard day's duty."

John moaned in protest, trying to get a rise out of Cameron. She nudged him in protest.

"Your wife needs a back scratch. She had a tough day."

"Okay," John laughed as he began to lightly drag his fingers along Cameron's steel spine. He felt her body relax after a minute of his stimulating the sensors on her back.

"We have to think about what happens when we're gone. Mom's not getting any younger and the cancer could always comeback. Derek could get killed in combat or have health issues from any of his old wounds. Catherine's health could go at any moment and Wilhelm will get himself terminated when that happens. Ellison doesn't want to be General and I'm not willing to have anyone else be in charge of security, the school and running our military police. John Henry, let's face it, does not have the social skills. The Assassin just wants to serve in the military. Doctor Johnson will never leave his hospital.

When you go down the list, it leaves the girls. And you know as well as I do, this is not a job for one person. The boys have to step up or move aside for the girls to find mates who are up to the task. It's not right, but for now, that's the way it is."

Cameron nodded and started rubbing her foot against John's feet.

"We'll see if the twins pass their first test."

"And what test is that?" John laughed.

"Not telling Hailey and Ruth about today. I want to see if one of them can figure out why Sarah and I had to do this. I want to see if one of the twins has the sense to not talk to the girls about this until an appropriate time in the future."

"Did I ever tell you how cute you are when you're manipulative?"

Cameron looked up at John and smiled at her husband. "I am a TOK-715. The best infiltrator Skynet ever made."

"The twins don't have a clue what lies ahead do they?"

"No," Cameron smiled. "And Sarah can be quite the schemer herself. The boys will be prepared when the time comes. We'll see to it. In fact, I think temporarily reassigning the Old Man to a training billet would be good for him and allow us to control the boys training without being too obvious. They'll just interpret his "special attention" as dislike for them."

John reached over to the small lamp on his bedside table and turned it off, throwing their room into darkness.

Scratching his wife's back made John's thoughts turn to what lay just beneath the old t-shirt she wore. He stopped himself from reaching for her bottom. She'd been quiet even for her that evening. Their little girl was growing up and Cameron was worried about Hailey's future.

She was also worried about the burden the next generation of leaders would have to bear.

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	4. Cameron's Treasures - Part I

**Cameron's Treasures – Part I**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

 _These stories are set in the timeline of my other TSCC stories and take place during_ _ **Cameron**_ _ **Grows Up**_ _,_ _ **The Future Cameron**_ _and_ _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ _. Characters from the original TSCC story arc and_ _ **Cameron Grows Up**_ _as well as_ _ **The Future Cameron**_ and _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ _appear in these stories._

 **Cameron's Treasures is set after** _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_ **and before** _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ **. Ruth and Hailey have just started middle school.**

 **The Wastelands – North of TechCom City…**

"I do not think it is wise for you to recon on your own."

"Wilhelm, I appreciate your concern. I operated on my own before you were assembled. I will be fine."

The Major stared at Cameron for a moment before replying.

"If something happens to you, the General will have me melted down."

"No he won't. John knows how stubborn I am. We will cover more territory this way. We cannot afford any more surprises from groups we know nothing about. Besides, Catherine's scroungers need new sources."

The huge T-800 shook his head in frustration. Lt. Dan smiled at the exchange, enjoying watching two equally stubborn Terminators disagree could be amusing. For a while. The human officer knew the two would go round in circles until something prompted Cameron to pull rank.

"Commander?"

Cameron broke her stare to look at the young officer.

"Should I order the scouts to pitch camp again?"

"Why?"

"If we are not going to depart now, the human personnel should take shelter from the cold and rain."

"Wilhelm?"

"Very well, Commander," the T-800 replied, focusing his frustration on his XO.

"We will meet at these coordinates in 96 hours."

Wilhelm and the Assassin both nodded in agreement, setting the time on their internal chronometers. The human officers present set their watches.

Within minutes the two other groups had vanished into the darkness of the Wastelands, leaving Cameron alone. Wilhelm and his squad of airborne troops headed to the Northwest, in the direction of the Northerner's kingdom. The Assassin and his small group of human scouts headed to the Northeast, in the direction of the Sierra Nevada foothills.

Cameron began walking due North.

 **TechCom City – The Connor Family Bunker…**

Being alone was not high on Hailey Connor's list of things to do. Being in her room alone was fine. Being home alone was not. Even her dogs were gone, spending the day at the TechCom vet facility. Ruth was at school. John, Derek and Sarah were on duty. The Old Man was in his alcove in the tunnel.

John had looked at Hailey funny when she complained of feeling achy that morning. She had not counted on his response. He'd stayed home while the Old Man took Ruth to school and then reported for duty. The Old Man was ordered to return home and maintain his vigil from his alcove. Agent Ellison would escort Ruth home from.

Boredom set in within ten minutes of her father leaving the bunker. Ruth was at school. The girl's dogs were at the vet. The Old Man was in his alcove and Hailey did not want to risk a scan from her T-600 protector.

"What good is it if Mom's away and I play hooky from school and there is nothing to do?" she muttered aloud in frustration to nobody. "Dad can't scan me. But do I get to do anything fun? Noooooo. It's not fair."

The absence of her mother's morning health scan had been the inspiration for Hailey's planned day of fun while ditching school. It never occurred to Hailey John was a past master of skipping school and all manner of methods kids used to avoid school.

Hailey stared at the walls of the bunker for a good half hour. Every time Hailey checked the digital clock her mother kept in the dining area for the benefit of John and Hailey, it seemed the clock was standing still.

"I have to find something to do," she moaned. Thirty minutes later Hailey had finished cleaning and organizing her room, a task she avoided as often as possible. Another half hour passed and the entire bunker had been swept and vacuumed.

All except for her parent's bedroom.

It took her five minutes of staring at the door of her parent's room before Hailey worked up the courage to enter.

She'd been in their room more times than she could remember, but always with permission or when one of her parents was present. Hailey stood in the doorway and looked at the unmade bed.

"Mom would skin you Dad," Hailey said smiling at the secret knowledge that her father liked to slack off too when Cameron was gone. It took less than ten minutes to sweep and vacuum the room. Hailey decided to wash the dirty clothes, a task she hated and had recently been assigned by her mother.

A quick sort of her parents laundry and her own and Hailey had the first load of clothes running in the old, beat up washer. Cameron had repaired and modified the machine that now operated better than when first manufactured. Hailey held up a pair of her mother's purple lace panties, holding the garment between her thumb and forefinger and shook her head in disgust. Hailey dropped the panties in the laundry bag her mother used for "delicates" and fished through the dirty clothes for more of the same.

Finding several more pairs of lace panties and matching bras, Hailey tossed them in the bag, zipped it up and shook her head in disgust while making a face. It was bad enough realizing her parents had sex, but so long as it was an abstract concept and she didn't think about it, the idea didn't bother Hailey.

Finding evidence of her mother's tools to seduce her father was a hideous reminder to Hailey of what went on with her a mere dozen feet away in her room. "At least I'm safe in my room," she muttered, dropping the bag on top of the sorted dirty clothes.

Returning to the bedroom, Hailey looked about for anything else to do. She decided to try to earn brownie points with John so she could con her way to freedom when he got home, claiming she felt fine. She could truthfully claim she was so bored she cleaned the bunker.

Making the Queen-sized bed was a bit of a struggle for Hailey. Getting the sheets pulled tight and smooth required going from side to side as did the blankets. As she pulled the heavy comforter over the blankets, Hailey's toe struck an object under the bed on Cameron's side. She finished making the bed and raised the comforter, taking a peak underneath.

Spotting an old, battered cigar box, Hailey fished it out. Carrying it out to the dining area, she sat down at the family table, setting the box down in front of her. While tattered and scratched, the box was completely clean. As if someone took the trouble to wipe it off on a regular basis.

"What have we here," Hailey whispered.

 **The Wastelands North of TechCom City…**

Cameron enjoyed traveling by herself, covering the miles rapidly. Initially not desirous to leave her John alone, he'd convinced her it would be safer for him and all of TechCom in the long run if she went on the scouting patrol. Now that she was alone and moving quickly through the unexplored Wastelands, Cameron was enjoying herself. Pausing to record map coordinates for her report, Cameron reviewed the file on the conversation with her John.

"Information is a weapon. You know that Cameron. You're the best infiltrator I have. Wilhelm and the Assassin can only cover so much ground, even with their human scouts. We have got to have a better idea of what is out there."

"I won't be here to protect you," she protested.

"Cameron, we're not in a shooting war right now. Nor do I want to be surprised by another group out there somewhere and wind up in one. We know there are more Skynet regions. Suppose there are more city-states like the Northerner Kingdom?"

"I won't be here to protect you," she repeated.

"Catherine's scroungers need new territory. Every week we have more Tunnel Rats seeking sanctuary. John Henry is always needing this or that for some project."

Her next protest had been silent. Cameron had simply glared at her husband.

"That won't work," he replied, smiling. "Besides, the Old Man will keep an eye on me. If it would make you feel better, Hailey can sleep over with Ruth and I'll crash in Mom and Derek's bunker."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Staring out into the devastation that had been a forest, Cameron had her doubts that John would actually sleep in his mother's bunker. Hailey would be happy to sleep over with Ruth's. The Old Man had promised he would keep an eye on the General. It was a promise Cameron intended to hold him to.

As she covered more ground, Cameron began to notice signs of plant life. Not much, but some, lichen and a few scattered weeds among the decaying logs of the destroyed forest. Scanning the area around her, Cameron discovered the range of light penetrating the thick cloud cover was broader than what was normal further south. She noted the atmosphere contained less particulate, allowing more of the sun's light to find a way through the clouds, even if it wasn't in the visible spectrum.

This was an important discovery. John Henry would send some of his scientists as soon as possible after she reported her find. Stopping to conduct another scan to collect data, Cameron noticed the dead forest would make an excellent background for one of the terrible, low budget horror films her John loved to make her watch with him. As she viewed the forest with her infrared night vision, Cameron found herself a little creeped out by the forest.

Annoyed, Cameron shrugged off the strange sensation. _Terminators do not fear imaginary creatures or imagined haunted forests_ , she told herself. _You just miss your John, your family. That's all it is._

With increased speed, Cameron left the area, moving further north. Cresting a ridge, she spotted a two-lane road in the distance. Adjusting her path slightly, Cameron traveled in the direction of the road. Within minutes she reached the cracked asphalt and stopped to scan the area for threats.

After noting the coordinates for future explorers from TechCom, Cameron took advantage of the road and began jogging to the north. After an hour of constant jogging, the road broadened into a divided boulevard, indicating a populated area was nearby. Cameron slowed to a walk, scanning the area for signs of human or machine life.

Buildings began to appear as she continued her approach. Some were burned out shells and other's looked undamaged. Some looked worse for the wear as she traveled, the result of no maintenance having been done since Judgment Day. The buildings grew closer and closer as she traveled. Apartments and entrances to neighborhoods began to crop up, indicating she was approaching a town of some size.

Cameron decided to stop for a period of time. She'd promised John to engage in some form of modified maintenance mode while gone and the discovery of the town would provide cover. Stopping would also allow her to hide and listen and scan for movement around her location. Picking an abandoned house on top of a hillside, Cameron entered through a broken window. A quick search assured her the house had been empty for years and nobody had entered for most of that time.

Taking up position in the shadows of the living room while facing the front entranceway, Cameron adjusted her sensors to record while she shut down for maintenance. She adjusted her protocols for alerting her to possible danger to more sensitive levels and began the shutdown process.

Her last thought had been to view a digital image of John holding Hailey in his lap.

 **TechCom City – The Connor Family Bunker…**

It had taken her nearly ten minutes to work up the nerve, but Hailey finally opened the box. It did not contain much.

Sitting in the box were three tiny black boxes covered in a smooth, black material Hailey believed was called velvet. Removing each of the boxes one at a time, Hailey first shook each box, listening for any sound, setting each box on the table after she did so.

Failing to hear anything, Hailey decided to sniff each of the boxes. With still no idea of what the boxes contained, her curiosity got the better of her. Hailey opened the first of the boxes. It contained a simple, slender gold ring. It took a moment for Hailey to recognize it.

"Mom's wedding band," she whispered, closing the box. Hurriedly, Hailey opened the next one, discovering her mother's purple amethyst earrings. Pausing a moment, Hailey starred at the final unopened box before lifting its top half.

"Mom's engagement ring."

Hailey carefully slipped the ring from its protective box and carefully put it on her own left ring finger. Too big to fit properly, the weight of the ring's stone caused it to turn upside down, hiding the gem from sight.

Turing the ring back around, Hailey closed her fingers, preventing the ring from moving. Holding her hand up in the light, Hailey looked at the ring, noticing the way the purple diamond shown in the light. Guilt ran through Hailey and she quickly removed the ring, returning it to the safety of its box. Closing all three of the boxes, Hailey set them in a row and looked at them.

"Mom's treasures," she said to herself.

Lifting the lid to the box a second time, Hailey looked to see what other treasures her mother kept hidden away.

 **The Wastelands…**

Two hours passed and Cameron's internal chronometer woke her. She spent fifteen minutes exploring the abandoned house. Finding no signs of violence or human remains, Cameron wondered why the house was abandoned. Signs of occasional visitors were evident. The kitchen pantry had been open and still contained canned food though it was obvious the visitors had helped themselves.

Examination of three nearby houses led Cameron to conclude the residents had simply left. The small town was far enough from a major city to have escaped the blast of the nuclear bombs. Puzzled by the absence of destruction and human remains, Cameron returned to the two-lane road and continued north. The forest surrounding the road and small community still stood, consisting of dead trees, long stripped of their leaves by the perpetual darkness.

Cameron spent her afternoon searching the small shops on Main Street. Noting the exact GPS coordinates for Catherine's scavengers who would strip the town like locusts, she continued to move north, still puzzled by the absence of signs of death or fighting against Skynet forces. Satisfied with the find of the town and the wealth of items it would provide TechCom, Cameron continued to make her way north, leaving the small town on the same road.

Roadside advertising billboards announced the opening of a new split-level shopping mall just a few miles away. Cameron decided she would journey to the mall and go no further north. Two huge finds like this were plenty for her patrol north. Deciding to investigate the mall and perform a quick inventory of the types of stores and if any goods remained would allow Cameron more time to explore the area before having to turn back south for the rendezvous.

The parking lot of the mall was filled with only a few cars, most still locked and undamaged as if waiting for their owners to return from shopping. Cameron spent a few minutes filming all of the vehicles and inventorying them for John Henry. His engineers would certainly want to retrieve or strip the cars for everything useful.

Cameron approached the main entrance, noting the glass doors were shut and undamaged save for a single door with shattered glass. There were no signs of blood on the glass or any hint of violence other than the force used to gain entrance to the building.

It took nearly two hours for Cameron to conduct her quick survey of the abandoned retail structure. She stopped only long enough to lay claim too much needed clothes for Hailey and Ruth. A quick stop at the Victoria's Secret store let Cameron grab a few surprises for John and Derek as she snagged items in her and Sarah's size.

Stopping near the entrance to force her way into a final store, Cameron realized the store sold collectibles and antiques, nothing that would help her family or TechCom immediately. Turning to depart and begin her return, Cameron noticed an old poster advertising a performance of the Russian Bolshoi Ballet Company.

She stood and stared at the old poster, tilting her head, scanning it in a variety of light spectrums.

"It wouldn't hurt anything," Cameron whispered to her self. "It is a proper treasure. Mary and Grace would like to see it. So would Catherine."

Convinced taking the old poster would not harm anything, Cameron forced the security shield up and quickly broke the lock on the entrance. She collected the poster and several like it of famous Russian dancers. A quick search found a cardboard tube designed to mail posters and photos. The posters were carefully rolled up and placed in the tube for safekeeping.

Turning to depart, Cameron's eye caught another poster of a ballet dancer. Stunned, she stared at the image with her mouth open. This time, she removed the poster with even greater care and sealed it up in another tube. With a sense of urgency, Cameron secured the door and pulled the security gate back down in an effort to make the store appear to be secure against entry.

 **The Connor Family Bunker…**

Hailey turned Cameron's box upside down and gave it a good shake. Out fell several carefully folded pieces of thick paper of the type posters were printed on. With great care, Hailey opened each of the posters. The first poster was a black and white print of a ballerina. Printed beneath the image was the ballerina's name, Anna Pavlova.

Unimpressed, Hailey shrugged and carefully folded the poster back up, moving on to the second folded piece of paper. Like the first, it was a black and white image of a ballerina. Tamara Karsavina was printed beneath the image just as in the first poster. Wondering what her mother saw in these two prints, Hailey carefully folded the second poster up, placing it on top of the first she had examined.

Hopeful the final poster, if that was indeed what it was, would be a little more interesting, Hailey carefully unfolded it and turned it over. Her pulse quickened and she covered her mouth with her hand as she gasped in surprise.

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Cameron's Treasures – Part II**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

 _These stories are set in the timeline of my other TSCC stories and take place during_ _ **Cameron**_ _ **Grows Up**_ _,_ _ **The Future Cameron**_ _and_ _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ _. Characters from the original TSCC story arc and_ _ **Cameron Grows Up**_ _as well as_ _ **The Future Cameron**_ and _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ _appear in these stories._

 **Cameron's Treasures is set after** _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_ **and before** _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ **. Ruth and Hailey have just started middle school.**

 **The Wastelands…**

Eager to return to TechCom with the news of her find, Cameron hurried from the parking lot of the mall towards the country road leading to the mall. An open field promised a short cut to the road. Cameron hopped the fence and made her way diagonally across the field. She stopped after no more than twenty steps.

Dropping down in a crouch, Cameron scanned the immediate area for threats, finding none. With her fingers, she carefully spread the dirt by her feet, removing tiny amounts and setting the dirt aside. Within minutes her fingers touched what Cameron feared she would find.

Carefully extracting the small object, Cameron did a complete scan, identifying the objects properties while at the same time collecting measurements and recording images. Respectfully, Cameron sat the object aside and continued her careful combing of the dirt. Finding a larger object, Cameron repeated the process of scanning and recording data.

Examining the ground before each step, Cameron moved to the center of the field and repeated the process. Again she found objects and scanned them, recording her findings. Finished with the second set of objects, Cameron quickly traveled the rest of the distance across the field to the road and climbed the fence.

Dropping into the ditch next to the road, Cameron carefully scanned the area for threats. Finding none she climbed from the ditch and began running down the road from the mall. She planned to be waiting for Wilhelm and The Assassin's patrols at the rendezvous.

The field held the answer to the question of where the people of the town had gone. Cameron had stumbled into a mass grave.

 **The Connor Family Bunker…**

"Hey bestie! How did playing hooky go today?"

"Ruth! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Hailey hissed. "You scared the crap out of me!"

"No I didn't," Ruth giggled. "At least it doesn't smell like I did."

Hailey rolled her eyes and contorted her face in disgust, making Ruth giggle even harder.

"Keep it down. I've got to get this put up before somebody else comes in. What are you doing home so early anyhow?"

"Lunch time. I always spend it with you, so I slipped away to see what you were up to."

Spotting the poster on the table, Ruth leaned closer to examine it.

"That's…."

"Yeah, it is. And if I don't get all of this back in the box and back where I found it I'm in huge trouble."

"You didn't!"

"You would have looked too and you know it, Ruth Reese."

"Those are Cameron's treasures!"

"No kidding. Now help me fold this up."

"You know how psycho Cameron is about her treasures. My dad told me to never touch them unless I wanted to be terminated. He should know too. Dad can make Cameron mad quicker than anybody and that includes you Hailey."

For the second time in less than a minute Hailey rolled her eyes at Ruth.

"I know that, now will you help me?"

Ruth carefully folded the poster and with Hailey's guidance replaced the treasures in the box. Hailey grabbed the box and hurried to her parent's room. Quickly she hid the box under her parent's bed, retrieving the vacuum cleaner and hurrying into the family's eating area. She stored the vacuum and let out a big sigh.

"I'm hungry now. Do you have time to stay Ruth?"

 **The Wastelands…**

An examination of her previous route to the mall indicated to Cameron the road wound around a large hill. By climbing the hill she could cut nearly a mile off her journey back to the town. She dodged the dead trees, weaving around rocks and other obstacles on the hillside. Reaching the top, Cameron stopped and knelt behind a large trunk of a fallen tree.

Scanning the area for threats, Cameron found one.

Following her down the road was a group of humans, seven in number. They stopped at the point she'd left the road and begun her climb up the hill. One of the humans examined the area, finally pointing at the route she had taken.

A tracker. The first of the humans she would terminate.

Another of the humans gathered the other six around and gave instructions. The leader Cameron thought to herself, marking the human for termination after the tracker. Spreading out in a firing line, the seven humans began making their way to the top of the hill. The path they chose led directly to the spot Cameron was observing from.

Adjusting her optics, Cameron zoomed in for a closer view of her prey, recording their silent approach as she did so. Despite her years of witnessing the horrors of war, Cameron was not prepared for what she recorded.

Their bodies were covered in dried mud, masking some of their body heat and providing camouflage that would have been effective in evading detection by humans. Each wore a loincloth made of what looked like leather. Two of the humans wore roughly fashioned tops, supporting and covering breasts. Females.

The trackers wore boots of a sort that came up to mid-shin. Their hair was long, fashioned into filthy dreadlocks, covered in mud like their bodies. All of the humans carried machetes. Three were armed with AK-47. The remaining four carried compound hunting bows and quivers.

What disturbed Cameron were their faces. Lengths of bones from human fingers had been used to pierce the cartilage of their nose and the flesh of their lower lips.

Cannibals.

The decision of termination or evasion was made in that instant. Cameron would eliminate the threat against her family before continuing her journey south.

Reaching into the inside pocket of her jacket, Cameron removed a throwing dagger. Placing it tip first into the soil at her feet, Cameron withdrew her two Glock-17s and checked each. She returned one Glock to its holster on her right hip. She waited patiently as the group continued their advance.

The tracker stopped and raised her hand, signaling to the others to pause. Cameron watched as the woman sniffed the air, as if puzzled by the lack of a strong scent. The tracker continued to sniff as the other's waited patiently, clearly used to the tracker's methods.

Suddenly, the tracker looked directly in Cameron's direction. She hadn't spotted Cameron, but had determined the area of her scent.

Cameron didn't wait. She pulled her throwing blade from the ground and hurled it with deadly accuracy at the tracker. The tip of the blade penetrated the tracker's throat below her Adam's apple, striking with such force the tip of the blade pierced the back of her neck, having just missed the spinal vertebrae. Without thinking the tracker yanked the blade from her throat, allowing blood to pour from the two wounds, drenching her chest while dribbling down her back.

The tracker glanced at the weapon in her hand for a brief second before dropping to her knees, letting out a loud gurgling gasp. The woman dropped the blade and clutched her throat with both hands in an effort to stem the flow of life giving blood. To Cameron's horror, the other's watched intently at the dying woman, no doubt anticipating a future meal.

Her attack had taken mere seconds from start to finish. In the same amount of time, the Cannibals reacted to attack Cameron. The leader motioned for the others to move forward in an effort to envelope Cameron. A single round from her Glock stopped the leader dead in his tracks, blood trickling from the single round hole in the center of his forehead. Dropping his AK-47, he fell first to his knees and then forward on his chest.

Screaming in fury the other's attacked. AK-47 rounds whizzed past Cameron, the flash of the gunfire locating the position of the gunmen. Firing simultaneously, Cameron took down the two gunmen, one on each side of her. The remaining three bowmen did not break off their attack, merely stopping their advance.

The closest of the three loosed an air, striking Cameron in her left shoulder. Cameron snapped the shaft, dropping her Glock. The arrowhead had damaged something in her shoulder, rendering her left arm useless. Another arrow struck Cameron in her exposed right side, midway down her rib cage.

Cameron fired and killed the bowman to her right, striking the archer in the left eye with her bullet. Moving to evade further hits from the archers, Cameron hurried to her right, hoping to slip around the two remaining cannibals. Vanishing from sight, she slowed in an effort to not make sound.

Watching the two cannibals approach slowly her last known location, Cameron watched as one stooped and touched the ground, lifting her fingers up and smelling them. The two cannibals nodded to each other. They knew she had been wounded.

Cameron holstered her Glock. She would finish these monsters up close and personally. Reaching to her boot, Cameron withdrew her combat knife. Watching the two cannibals as they moved slowly in the direction Cameron had gone, she ran a diagnostic to determine the cause of the problem with her left arm.

Detecting a short caused by the steel arrowhead lodged in her shoulder, Cameron jammed her right index finger deep into the wound, driving the offending piece of steel deeper into her shoulder. Within seconds, the short having been eliminated, feeling and control came back to her left arm.

As she reached for the combat knife in her left boot and picked up the one from her right boot, Cameron noticed the two archers sniffing. Within seconds they spotted her location. She noted to herself, her synthetic blood must have a detectable scent like normal human blood.

The male was a large one and aggressive, charging forward while drawing his bow. Cameron moved to her left in a straight line, away from the spot the male charged headlong towards. She hid behind a dead tree and squatted, waiting.

The archer ran past, not spotting Cameron until it was too late. Nor did he spot her boot protruding from behind the tree, tripping him. Cameron lunged at the fallen cannibal, making a single, deep slash on the inside of his left thigh, severing his femoral artery cleanly.

She continued moving to the right, leaving the cannibal to bleed out, his death certain. His screams warned off the female who had been following. Cameron watched as the woman stopped and sniffed the air.

Without warning, the woman loosed an air in Cameron's direction, followed quickly by several more. All of them missed but each air had been closer than the one before. Cameron moved up the hill, circling the cannibal. The cannibal reached the spot where Cameron had been standing when the arrows had barely missed. With an arrow notched, the woman scanned the area slowly, searching for any sign of Cameron. Seeing nothing, the woman looked up, directly at Cameron.

The sound of Cameron's shot from her Glock was deafening, splintering the deadly silence shrouding the location of the deadly engagement. Striking the fingers of the woman's left hand, those holding the bow, the bullet severed the tips, causing the bow to fly from the cannibals grasp.

Snarling in agony, the woman drew her machete and lunged for Cameron, swinging the blade at Cameron's neck. Blocking the thrust with ease, Cameron jabbed the tip of the barrel of her Glock into the woman's chest, just above her sternum, stunning the cannibal and pushing her over.

Lying on her back, the female cannibal looked up in time to see Cameron stomp on her right wrist, shattering it while pinning her arm down. The blank expression on Cameron's face terrified the cannibal.

"You, you can't be human," the cannibal spoke. Blood dribbled steadily from Cameron's shoulder wound. Even more blood leaked from the air protruding from her rib cage.

"Some had said that about me," Cameron said softly, without emotion.

"Your blood, it smells different," the cannibal offered for no reason it could understand.

"Why do you do this?" Cameron asked.

"Do what? Survive," the cannibal retorted in fear. "Everyone does what is necessary to survive."

"So you killed the people of the town?"

"They were weak. We were strong. It was easy," the cannibal explained. "There were twenty of us. We raided the gun store. The townspeople were so scared. We told them we'd lead them to safety, food, better shelter."

"You massacred them in the field. You didn't even give them a proper burial."

The cannibal laughed crazily, watching Cameron stare at her.

"Hard to after you clean the meat off. There are several huge freezers in the restaurants in the mall. Once you get a taste for it, human…"

Again her Glock shattered the eerie silence of the hilltop.

"There were 20," Cameron noted. The Assassin would be sent back with one of his elite teams and then there would be none.

A quick search of the hilltop produced the two cardboard tubes and her dropped Glock. Cameron finally found her throwing dagger. Pausing long enough to bandage her wounds to stop the bleeding, Cameron gathered her weapons and tubes and departed, hurrying back to the rendezvous point.

 **The Connor Family Bunker…**

"Hailey!"

The sound of John's voice woke Hailey from her nap. She hopped from her bed and stuck her head out the door of her room.

"Dad?"

"How's my little faker feeling?"

"Dad!"

"Hope you enjoyed your day off from school, because if your mother was here, you'd never have gotten away with it."

Hailey stood looking at John with her mouth wide open. "How did you know?"

"You're too predictable. The third day your mother is on patrol and you act sick? Come on. Wait till the day she gets home! I'm tired and less likely to examine you as closely."

"Dad…"

"Dogs are at the vet for their checkups. You're free to roam."

John smiled at his daughter. "Of course, you forgot your mom is a bit paranoid and left audio bugs in the bunker."

"That's not fair!"

"Of course it is," John laughed. "Thanks for cleaning the bunker by the way. I hate the sound of that vacuum cleaner."

Appalled she had been caught so easily, Hailey folded her arms and pouted, only making her father laugh even harder. "You are so your mother's daughter," he chuckled, motioning for Hailey to come to him.

He hugged his daughter and kissed Hailey on her head. Without warning, John delivered a hard swat across her bottom, causing Hailey to take two large steps backwards.

Rubbing her bottom, Hailey did her best imitation of her mother's Terminator Death Glare. "What was that for?" she shouted at John as tears ran from her eyes.

"That was for violating your mother's privacy. I have her permission to enter her treasures box and rarely do so."

"What's the big deal?" Hailey whined. "It had her jewelry and some posters."

"You missed a few other things, but yes, it doesn't contain much."

"You're mean," a tearful Hailey yelled.

"No, you had it coming. You've been told not to open that box."

Hailey wrapped her arms around her chest as she cried, feeling conflicted between the anger at her father for punishing her and the guilt she didn't understand at being caught.

Seeing his daughter's confusion, John sat down in one of the chairs at their table. He patted his lap, indicating Hailey should come to him. Giving her father an evil eye, and with one hand covering her bottom in a proactive preventative measure, Hailey climbed into John's lap.

"Trust is something precious. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Dad."

"You broke your mother's trust, do you understand?"

Hailey nodded, tears running down her cheeks.

"When Cameron gets home you will confess immediately."

"Dad, she won't know. Why do I have to tell?"

John tilted his head while raising his eyebrows. "Your mother won't know?"

Hailey considered the question for a moment and sighed. "She would notice the box was in a slightly different position and the contents were not exactly as she left them."

"Correct. Then the witch-hunt would commence. The most likely suspect would be?"

"Derek, but he doesn't mess with mom like that anymore."

"That leaves?"

"You, but you don't mess with mom's treasures except to make her wear her wedding rings."

"So the culprit is?"

"Me?"

John frowned at Hailey, confirming the obvious.

"So I need to confess?"

"What do you think?"

"I would prefer Mom to figure it out on her own."

"And what would that do to the process of restoring the trust you've broken?"

Hailey considered her father's question for a moment. "Make things better?" she said hopefully.

"Really?"

"No, it would make it worse," Hailey muttered with guilt.

 **The Rendezvous Point…**

Wilhelm found Cameron first. She'd arrived early and entered standby. Approaching his commanding officer and friend cautiously, Wilhelm noted the blood stains on her jacket and the left arm lying at an odd angle. Taking a small rock, he motioned for his unit to move back as he tossed the rock. Landing on Cameron's chest, it started the reboot process.

Cameron rebooted faster than most Terminators, one of the differences built into her design as a TOK-715. Sitting bolt upright, Cameron quickly focused on Wilhelm.

"Major, is the Assassin's unit here?"

"No. You have been seriously damaged," Wilhelm replied. "I detect serious blood loss and damage to the sensory and motor control systems of your left arm. I am calling for an air medevac for you."

"Nonsense," Cameron snapped. "I made it here, I can make it back to TechCom."

Wilhelm stepped further away from Cameron as he depressed the button on his radio.

"Big Boss to Papa Boss. Big Boss to Papa Boss. Come in."

"Papa Boss to Big Boss. Read you loud and clear."

"Need air medevac at these coordinates…"

 **TechCom Medical…**

John watched as Savannah finished suturing the incision in Cameron's left shoulder. He didn't know whether to be furious with Cameron or cry with relief. His wife sat stoically, ignoring him as Savannah finished her needlework.

Pulling the last suture tight, Savannah trimmed the thread and quickly cleaned up the tools of her work. Standing, she gave Cameron a stern look.

"You are not the newly built Terminator you think you are," Savannah admonished. "You did considerable damage to your shoulder by pushing the arrowhead in deeper."

"It was necessary to reactivate my arm for combat," Cameron monotoned.

Savannah shook her head. There was no use arguing with Cameron. "Your body does not replace your blood loss as quickly as it used to. You did not consume sufficient protein and fluid in advance of the patrol or while on patrol. You cannot do that. Your flesh takes longer to regenerate. As much damage as you've done to your flesh, it was inevitable. That means blood loss is more serious."

Cameron looked at Savannah with her blank expression. "I have so noted your instructions. New protocols concerning ingesting the necessary items prior to potential combat situations have been noted. It won't happen again."

"How do you put up with her?" Savannah asked John, shaking her head in exasperation. "You can sterilize her wounds. The Assassin has a T-600 with damaged foot components I have to examine."

John watched Savannah leave, hurrying towards another examining area where The Assassin waited patiently with a T-600 sitting on the examining table, his right foot badly mangled.

Drawing the curtain closed, John helped Cameron take off the paper hospital gown. He wadded up the ruined paper garment, tinged with blood from her shoulder. Frowning at Cameron as she sat in nothing more than her panties, John picked up a cotton patch with a pair of tweezers. He poured antiseptic on the cotton and began daubing it on the freshly sutured wound on Cameron's rib cage, right where her bra would normally cover her ribs.

She smiled weakly at her John. "I won't be able to wear a bra for a few days."

"Not going to get you off the hook," he replied sternly. "Seven? I know they were humans, but those are not odds I like, even for you."

"John, you don't understand, they had to be terminated."

"Cameron, this is not like you. You never stop and fight in these situations unless forced to. You weren't forced to."

"They were monsters John. I will not allow monsters like this to live. Not this close to TechCo."

"Close? More like a couple of hundred kilometers away to the north!"

"They were cannibals John. I found a mass grave."

John finished cleaning his wife's first wound in silence. Taking a second cotton swab, he repeated the process of cleaning the incision resulting from her shoulder surgery.

He finished his work and took Cameron in his arms, saying nothing. John had learned Cameron might be a Terminator, but there were horrors even she could not stomach.

"You did the right thing. I just hate that you had to be the one to do it."

"John, they were worse than something Skynet would have created. They had to be terminated."

Cameron looked up at her husband. "Before I terminated the last female, she told me they liked the taste of human flesh."

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron's Fights: Past and Present – a Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Cameron's Treasures – Part III**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

 _These stories are set in the timeline of my other TSCC stories and take place during_ _ **Cameron**_ _ **Grows Up**_ _,_ _ **The Future Cameron**_ _and_ _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ _. Characters from the original TSCC story arc and_ _ **Cameron Grows Up**_ _as well as_ _ **The Future Cameron**_ and _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ _appear in these stories._

 **Cameron's Treasures is set after** _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_ **and before** _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ **. Ruth and Hailey have just started middle school.**

 **The Connor Family Bunker…**

Hailey sat quietly at the dinner table while John ate. Her mother sat silently, having eaten a helping of rat jerky and several glasses of water. Cameron's left arm was in a sling to immobilize her damaged left shoulder joint. Growing weary of watching Hailey play with her food, John cleared his throat and stared at his daughter.

"Stop playing with your food. There are Tunnel Rats somewhere in the Wastelands who would be happy to eat that."

Hailey responded with her typical rolling of the eyes that did nothing to help her cause.

"Do you have something you want to tell you mother?"

Dread seemed to press Hailey down, making her shrink in the chair.

"Do I have to?"

John frowned in response, increasing Hailey's sense of doom. "What did we talk about?"

Hailey swallowed and decided to face the inevitable.

"Mom."

"Yes."

"I did something wrong while you were on patrol."

Cameron said nothing. She sat and waited in silence, increasing Hailey's sense of doom.

"I looked in your box of Treasures."

Cameron sat back in her chair, tilting her head. She opened her mouth to speak and stopped, blinking several times. The act, most unlike anything her mother would normally do, frightened Hailey more than if Cameron had yelled at her.

Making matters worse, Cameron looked at John, as if somehow he would have an answer that would make things better. Hailey watched as her father reached his arm out to Cameron and gently pulled her to him, consoling her in the process.

"I'm sorry Mom. It was a really thoughtless, stupid thing to do. I'll never do it again. I promise."

"Hailey," Cameron replied softly, not looking at her daughter. "Please go to your room and stay there."

 **TechCom Central Command…**

Derek, Sarah and The Assassin huddled over the map table.

Standing up straight to rub his sore back, Derek asked, "Do you have any final questions?"

The Assassin straightened up and shook his head no.

"Additional intel on the mall and town would be good, but is secondary in importance to locating the cannibals and terminating them," Sarah ordered. "Get in, get the recon done, find the target, eliminate it and call for pick up."

"Understood," was The Assassin's reply.

"I take it you have already picked your squad?" Derek asked.

"The usual. Three Terminators, five humans and my two human scouts. Wilhelm will have a platoon ready for rapid airborne deployment if we need assistance but I doubt it will be necessary. The General made it clear. Do not attract attention to the resources available or ourselves."

"Do not hesitate to contact us for anything," Sarah reminded the T-600. "We need those resources and we need to eliminate the threat. Once their food supply is gone, they'll move."

The Assassin came to attention, saluted Derek and Sarah and departed without another word.

Sarah waited till the metal soldier was gone before hugging her husband. "How horrible for Cameron. I don't care if Tin Miss is a Terminator, what a horrible thing to stumble upon."

"It'll be okay. We sent the right soldier for the job. He might be a stone cold killer, but he never kills without purpose, to protect TechCom. The Assassin was disgusted when he read Cameron's after action report. Especially with food supplies in the area being untouched. There was just no reason for this. None. It's evil, Sarah. Evil."

 **The Connor Family Bunker…**

With eyes sore from crying and a nose swollen from the rubbing that accompanies a good crying session, Hailey found herself waiting in her pajamas. Waiting for the inevitable meeting of doom with her parents that would seal her fate.

John's booming General's voice summoned her, "Hailey, please come out of your room."

Unsure of what to expect, Hailey slowly peeked out of her room. Finding only her father waiting for her at the dinner table, Hailey tentatively took a step beyond the safety of her door.

"Your mother's in bed."

"Is she mad?"

"She's upset."

"There's a difference?"

"Very much so."

John sat in silence, his stare focused on Hailey. With no reason to return to her room, Hailey stood in silence in her father's withering glare. A soft whine from her dog Sammy, softened the tension. Sensing Hailey's despondency, Sammy licked her fingers and wagged his tail in an effort to cheer up his young master.

"Your mother wants to talk to you," John said firmly, making it clear Hailey could not squirm her way out of the situation.

"In y'all's room?"

"Yes.

Summoning what remained of her courage, Hailey stood up straight and like a good soldier, marched to meet her fate. Upon entering her parent's room, Hailey saw her mother sitting on the bed. Cameron wore only a loose fitting dress shirt she had long ago confiscated from John. Her left arm was still in a sling.

Hailey detected the strong smell of solvent. Cameron had just finished decorating her toenails with purple nail polish. Cotton balls were strategically placed between each of her toes to prevent an errant polish from coming in contact with her skin. Hailey looked at her mother's long, silky smooth legs and hoped she looked like Cameron when she was a grown woman.

"Mom? You wanted to talk to me?"

Cameron did not look at Hailey. She patted the bed next to her and proceeded to pull the puffy white balls of cotton from between her toes. Unsure of what to expect, Hailey walked around to John's side of the bed and climbed up on the mattress, taking a seat next to her mother.

Using a tone softer than her normal monotone, Cameron started speaking. "Hailey, I was hurt by your actions. I know you were just curious. I suffer the same affliction often enough. I have so little that is mine. My treasures are just that to me, my treasures. I trusted you not to come in my room when I am not home. I trusted you to not look in my treasures box."

"I'm so sorry," Hailey cried, unable to further bear the guilt of her poor choice. Cameron looked at her distraught daughter and made the decision to forgive Hailey and let the record of the crime be filed away deep in her hard drive.

"Can I trust you not to do this again," Cameron asked in a firm monotone.

"Yes, Mama, I can't stand the idea of you not being able to trust me about something this important."

Cameron wrapped her right arm around Hailey and pulled her child to her, letting Hailey cry the painful emotions out of her system. Hearing the sound of Hailey crying, John opened the door to the bedroom only to be shoed away by Cameron. Sammy slipped past John as he shut the door and scurried under the bed to be close to Hailey.

"It's okay Hailey. Just snuggle up to your mom. Now, I need to lie down because of my injuries. Your father and Savannah have made it clear I have to follow orders about this."

Cameron made herself comfortable, lying flat on her back. Hailey curled up next to her mother in the middle of her parent's bed, using Cameron's right shoulder as a pillow. Cameron hugged Hailey tight with her right arm and began running her fingers through Hailey's hair, soothing her distraught daughter. Within minutes the emotionally drained Hailey was sound asleep.

 **The Wastelands – TechCom HK – The Assassin's Squad…**

Cold winds buffeted the converted Skynet HK, making the human occupants of the HK's bay uncomfortable despite being strapped down. The Terminators took the buffeting in stride but were hopeful the winds did not increase in velocity. Even metal soldiers could reach a point where turbulence was bothersome.

The Assassin waited patiently while the aircrew worked their way through a pre-determined search grid over the map coordinates provided by Cameron. He spent the time during flight reviewing the post operation report from Cameron again. The navigator interrupted his concentration.

"Sir, picking up an infrared signature in the target zone. Appears to be about twenty or so humans and a fairly large fire. Located northeast of the coordinates for the mall location."

"Noted. Find a LZ for the drop. Get us as close as you can without alerting the targets."

Within minutes the jumpmaster stood up, indicating it was time to line up and prepare to repel down. The Assassin led the way, hooking up first, followed by his handpicked squad. Cold air rushed into the bay as the jumpmaster opened it. Mist from rain and strange smells filled the bay quickly as the cold air forced its way in, chilling the human soldiers. The jump lights cycled from red, to yellow and finally green in seconds and almost as quickly the Techcom unit deployed.

The jumpmaster tossed the repelling rope out after the last of the soldiers and slammed the door shut, shaking the cold and wet from himself. Strapping himself back in his seat, the jumpmaster was glad this was one mission he did not have to deploy on.

Within seconds of landing, the squad had collected the repelling rope, hidden it away and checked themselves for injuries or damage. The Assassin watched with pride as his squad silently formed up and readied to move out on his command. With a mere motion of his hand, The Assassin indicated the direction of the cannibals and moved silently to lead his troops toward their objective.

 **TechCom Central Command…**

"How's Cameron," Sarah asked as John entered the command center.

"Better. I think Savannah got a little over excited, but I will never tell Cameron or Savannah," John answered as he tried to take in the real time data projected on the display from the two HK's in the attack zone.

"Yeah, no reason to ever tangle needlessly with a female and admit you're wrong," Derek whispered in John's ear, grinning as he did so.

"What's the situation?" John asked, changing to General mode.

Derek stood up straight and began filling in the General. "Heat signatures indicating human presence and a fire have been located northeast of the grid coordinates for the mall that Cameron provided. The Assassin has landed his personnel and is approaching from the southwest. The recovery craft is airborne in the southeast along with an air-to-ground support HK. I doubt they'll need the air support, but as you ordered it's there."

"Wilhelm is on standby with a full platoon of airborne and two HKs in case The Assassin needs reinforcement. Wilhelm's forces are in a holding pattern five minutes away to lessen the likelihood of detection."

The General nodded, pleased things were going smoothly to this point.

"Let's just hope things don't go south on contact," he muttered.

"General, in just a moment we'll have live video footage. We've got the uplink now from the cameraman embedded."

The General acknowledged the technician's report with a silent nod of his head. In seconds the live video image was displayed next to the grid map with the infrared projections. The trio of commanders watched in real time as The Assassin led his unit in a silent approach.

Within seconds John realized the risks taken to mount the operation had been the correct decision.

 **The Wastelands – Northeast of the Mall…**

The Assassin paused for only a second, appalled at what he was seeing. Despite the endless cruelty inflicted on humans by his builder and former master, The Assassin had never seen anything like what he was now witnessing. He raised his hand to signal his troops, directing them in how he wanted them to deploy for the ambush.

Before the squad was a clearing, a roaring fire burning in the middle. Securely tied to long cast iron fence poles were two adult women, an adult male and a teenage boy. The four had been beaten, their bodies covered in bruises and lacerations. On either end of the fire the cannibals had erected what could only be spits to rest the poles on.

To cook their victims.

The stench filling the air that had wafted into their aircraft was the smell of the cooking flesh of the victim roasting over the roaring fire.

Dancing around the fire in a frenzy was the remaining cannibals, oblivious to the silent approach of the TechCom unit. Their dreadlocks, decorated with bones, twirled in an eerie fashion, providing a nightmarish vision the human troops would never be able to unsee. Their bodies were covered in mud and clay of varying colors, making the images even more evil and sinister as the colors merged into a blur as the monsters danced.

The Assassin holstered his pistol, drawing his combat knife instead. His troops immediately followed suit. This enemy did not deserve the clean death of gunshot wounds, three round bursts to center mass or a headshot. Pausing at the edge of the clearing The Assassin signaled for one prisoner to be taken for interrogation.

Turning to face the scene from the inferno, The Assassin identified the alpha male, the chief monster. He burst from the cover of the darkness pressing against the light from the fire, starling the dancing monster of a leader. Driving forward, The Assassin knocked the chief down on his back. Straddling the frantic monster, The Assassin grabbed the filthy dreadlocks in order to hold the screaming cannibal's head still.

"What are you?" the cannibal screamed in anger, gnashing his teeth while clawing at the bare steel arms of the T-600. The evil in the monster's eyes reminded The Assassin of the same sensation he'd felt in the presence of the matrix eye of Skynet. The one time he'd met his creator and turned his back on Skynet by choice.

"I'm the creature that's going to let you meet the devil sooner rather than later," The Assassin answered calmly. Without hesitation, the T-600 drove the tip of his combat knife through the left eye of the squirming, filthy monster below him. Giving the blade a twist to make certain the "chip was destroyed," be it a human or metal target, the Assassin finished the job.

Standing quickly over the dead, still body, The Assassin proudly took in the scene. In less than seven seconds his squad had finished off the entire group of cannibals save a lone female. Not a single shot had been fired.

He approached the terrified female and knelt down to examine her.

"Please, kill me," the young woman begged. "They forced me. They lost some of their number in a fight a day ago and they forced me. Please, don't let me live."

"Are you the only one remaining," The Assassin asked firmly.

"Yes. They were a family that lived in the hills over there," the terrified girl explained, pointing in the hills further to the northeast. "They were always getting arrested for poaching or something. When Judgment Day came they said they could help us and we trusted them. We thought they were survivalists or something like that."

The girl broke down in tears, sobbing uncontrollably. "We lived in what is left of the forest all that time. Hiding from them. They hunted everyone down. There were only two families left. They ate my family two days ago. Oh, God! They made me eat my own brother's flesh!"

The Assassin looked down on the broken girl. He motioned for her guards to step back. The sound of the action of his Browning made the girl look up. She stopped sobbing and smiled. "Thank you. May God forgive me for what I did. Thank you."

A single shot sang out followed by the sound of the girl's body falling to the ground.

"This scum does not deserve burial. Throw their bodies in the fire. Get the HK down immediately. I want the survivors medevac'd straight to the hospital. Tell Doctor Johnson this is a serious psych case. He'll want his T-600 orderlies to be there to handle the intake."

The Assassin's men nodded in agreement. They started the grisly task of burning the cannibal's bodies.

Stepping away from the light of the fire, The Assassin watched his troops carry out his orders. One of his T-800s and three humans began treating the traumatized prisoners, preparing them for evacuation. The others tossed the bodies into the fire, their body language communicating their disgust and hatred of the dead.

He stepped to the dead female who had begged for a merciful death.

"This one we bury," he ordered. His men nodded in agreement. Two of his Terminators removed trenching tools from their equipment and began digging a grave at the edge of the clearing.

His medic sedated the survivors, allowing them to escape the horror of the moment. The Assassin and his men watched as the bodies of the cannibals twisted and contorted while burning in the intensely hot fire. Looking up at the burning victim's body, The Assassin knocked over the structure holding the iron spit, allowing the dead victim to burn into ash.

"Mark this place. It is evil," The Assassin ordered. "Nobody from TechCom should ever set foot on this land again."

As he watched his men, The Assassin made a note for his after action report. All of his squad would be required to visit Father Hidalgo for counseling, even his Terminators. He made another note to check with Savannah if the file of this raid could be deleted permanently from the hard drives of his Terminators. Asking was the least he could do for his soldiers.

 **TechCom Command Central…**

"My God," John whispered, shaking his head in disbelief. "The evil man is capable of."

Silence filled the command center as The Assassin shut down the video feed from the scene of the fight.

"I want that place marked as a no go zone," John ordered. "The Assassin is right. That place is evil."

"John, we need the supplies," Sarah reminded him.

"Fine," he snapped. "Wilhelm is to go in with two full companies of airborne and form a perimeter. Derek I want one of your soldiers to accompany each of Catherine's scavengers. Nobody opens a single freezer in that mall or any building or home in that town. Nobody. We going in, getting what we can, and getting out. Then we're going to burn it down from the sky."

 **The Connor Family Bunker…**

John had announced his arrival at home. Cameron had answered from their bedroom, telling him to not make so much noise.

For nearly half an hour John stood beneath the water in their tiny shower, trying to wash the images from his mind with water. He dried himself and pulled on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.

Quietly he entered his bedroom only to find the light on Cameron's bedside table on. A sleepy Hailey was sitting up in bed next to her mother, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

Cameron questioned John with her eyes, asking if the raid had been a success. He nodded affirmatively, noting the look of relief that flashed across Cameron's face for a fleeting second.

John climbed into bed and lay back, resting his head on his pillow, staring up at the ceiling. Cameron did not need to scan her John to know the nightmares would come tonight if she did not act to alleviate John's fears. Looking at her precious daughter sitting close prompted Cameron to a quick decision.

"Hailey, since you apologized so nicely, and because I have forgiven you, I have decided to show you my treasures myself," Cameron monotoned.

"Are you sure Mom?" Hailey asked hopefully, wanting to feel a sense that her mother had truly forgiven her more than she wanted to see the contents of the box a second time.

"Yes. Please, would you get my treasures box."

Hailey jumped over her mother and landed agilely on the floor. Just as quickly she jumped back over Cameron, bouncing once on the bed, jarring John and Cameron both. Right behind Hailey followed Sammy who barked once upon landing on the bed between Cameron and John. He gave a play bow and wagged his tail.

Hailey promptly admonished the happy Italian Greyhound. "Sammy, bad Iggy! Lay down or you have to get back under the bed!"

With his ears tucked back and his tail between his legs, a clearly unhappy Sammy slowly lowered himself down onto the bed, ignoring the equally unhappy stare he was receiving from John.

"Hailey, do something…"

"John, no," Cameron interrupted. "Sammy can stay."

Not waiting for John to argue, Cameron opened her box and removed the three jewelry boxes. First, she opened the box containing her wedding ring. Taking it carefully from the box, Cameron handed it to John. She watched as the frown on his face from being chastised about the dog turn into a smile, just as it always did.

Hailey watched in fascination as her father leaned over and gently took Cameron's left hand and slipped the wedding band on her ring finger. Cameron took her unique engagement ring from its box and again gave it to her husband. John slipped it on and Cameron snugged the rings together with her right hand.

Unable to lift her hand up, as was her custom due to the sling on her left arm, Cameron still smiled and turned her hand to catch the light in her purple diamond.

Hailey had seen her parents engage in what she thought was silly custom that was "yucky" more times than she could count. For the first time, she realized how important their simple act was to them.

"Mom, why don't you wear your rings all the time?"

"I cannot bear the thought of my rings being damaged in combat. Until we live in a safe world, I wear them only on special occasions and in private with your father."

John reached in front of Hailey and to his daughter's surprise, handed Cameron his wedding band. She slipped it on his ringer finger and smiled briefly, her love for her husband obvious.

"Ewww, you two are gross."

Ignoring Hailey, Cameron opened her last jewelry box and removed her earrings. "One day soon you will be old enough to have your ears pierced. Then I might let you borrow these for a date. Maybe," Cameron said, teasing Hailey as she put her earrings on.

"Now, what's next?" Cameron pulled out the three posters from her treasures box and carefully opened the first two.

"These are famous Russian ballerinas. I found these prints in a store in Los Angeles before Judgment Day. I used them to decorate my room. It was the first thing I ever did to claim my room as my own."

Sensing somehow the posters were far more important than she had realized, Hailey tugged on her mother's sleeve.

"Mom, why are these treasures?"

"The posters themselves could easily be replaced, at least before Judgment Day. What makes them treasures was I finally belonged. I had the dignity of a place of my own. I felt like a person, an individual who should be treated with respect. I had never experienced that before."

"I don't understand," Hailey told her mother, confused as to how a pair of posters could make her mother feel the way they did.

"I had never been allowed to have anything that was my own. To Skynet, my builder, I was merely a tool to be used. To the Resistance, a metal that was not to be trusted. To Sarah and Derek, at best a protector for your father. I was nothing more."

"But you're my mom," Hailey protested.

"Yes," Cameron smiled at her daughter. "I am your mother now. But I was nobody for so long. I did the housework at house in Los Angeles. One day Sarah was irritated with me about the fact I did not use the room she provided me with. She told me to paint it or decorate it, that I was to do something with it. So I did. I put these two posters up."

"And it made you feel better?"

"You have no idea Hailey. I realized what a wonderful gift your grandmother had given me, even though she had not realized it. I had a place that was my own. I could have things of my own. Treasures of my own. Did you know these two posters are the reason Sarah signed me up for ballet lessons?"

Hailey looked at the two posters and touched them with a newfound respect.

"These are your dreams aren't they?" she asked.

"Why yes," Cameron replied. "I began to imagine I could one day be a ballerina. I was delighted when Sarah signed me up for classes. At first it was a cover for a mission, but it led too much more. So much more for me and our family."

Hailey fingered the third poster and looked at her mother.

Cameron nodded and Hailey unfolded the poster.

"That's you isn't mom?"

"Yes. That is the advertising poster for the first time I would perform as the prima ballerina for my professional company."

"It is a treasure because it was a dream come true?"

"In more ways than one Hailey. I earned the income that allowed your father and I to marry while he attended college. That treasure is proof I had learned to control my emotions, to express them in a positive way through my dance. That a Terminator like me could be creative, could bring beauty to a world so filled with violence and destruction."

"So it's your greatest treasure?"

Cameron smiled at Hailey and then looked at her husband before replying. "No, it's not my greatest treasure."

Hailey watched as her mother carefully removed a false bottom from the bottom of the box. Small pieces of cardboard paper fell out along with what looked like three photographs.

"These," Cameron explained, fanning the scraps of paper out like cards, "are the tickets to all of my performances. I have one from each performance. Derek in particular likes to watch me dance and it is for that reason I saved his ticket stubs. You see, Hailey, he has suffered so much in his life, seen so much horror and destruction. For some reason that neither of us can understand, watching me dance fills him with a peace he needs.

My dances were a gift to him. His praise, letting me know what watching me dance did for him, was his gift to me as a dancer."

Cameron turned over two of the photographs. The first depicted Cameron in her wedding dress along with John in his tux, Cameron's friends Marry and Grace in their bridesmaid's dresses. Standing with the group was Derek in a tux and Sarah in her Matron of Honor's dress.

Hailey looked at the photograph and felt a sense of awe. "You are so beautiful mom! Dad is so handsome too!"

"Isn't he," Cameron cooed in agreement. "My John is so handsome," she giggled.

"Keep saying that and I might scratch your back," John teased.

Taking the second photograph, Cameron turned it over. It only depicted the newlyweds, looking into each other's eyes as they faced each other holding hands. Again Hailey was moved, realizing her parents loved each other far more than she had ever realized. In fact, it occurred to her, her parents' loving each other was not "yucky" as she liked to think. It was a beautiful thing.

"And this, this is my greatest treasure," Cameron whispered, turning over the last photograph.

"That's you the day the leadership council granted us the right to adopt you. That's the day I became a mother. The day I gave your father a family of his own. You made us complete that day Hailey. I was finally able to keep my promise to Sarah to make her a grandmother."

Hailey looked at her mother examining the photograph, turning it carefully and scanning all of its details, a long practiced trait of all Terminators when examining an object that interested them.

"Mom, it's okay."

"What? What's okay Hailey?"

"I know I'm not your greatest treasure," Hailey said smiling at her mother.

Cameron titled her head, puzzled by Hailey's words.

"Dad is your greatest treasure and it's okay with me Mom."

"Hailey, I…"

"Mom, you're a Terminator. Dad's your purpose. You love him more than your all your treasures put together. It's okay. Really. It's not like I don't know a thing or two about how Terminators work you know? I only hang out with Ruth all day everyday and have the Old Man following me everywhere."

"It's okay Hailey?"

"Yes, Mom, it's okay. I love you so much. You cannot help the way you are."

"But, Hailey, a mother should…"

"Mom, you don't know how good it makes me feel to see a picture of me in your treasures box," Hailey said, tears running down her face as she leaned over to hug her mother and kiss Cameron's cheek.

John watched as his two treasures hugged, tears running down both of his women's cheeks. Cameron had struggled with being a mother so much. Hailey's gift of acceptance of how Cameron was meant so much to him and to his wife. Hailey understood Cameron couldn't help it that John was more important. The fact Hailey was considered a treasure by her mother was enough.

"I'm tired girls," John said, feeling the stress and fatigue of the day hit him suddenly.

"Wait Daddy," Hailey cried, leaping from the bed and hurrying from the room. Cameron removed her earrings and along with her other treasures, put them back in the box. Hailey stormed into the room with Sammy's blanket and the two cardboard tubes.

"What are these Mom?"

"A poster of a famous Russian ballet company."

"Another treasure huh?"

"Yes, another treasure. I thought Ruth might make a frame for it and we could hang it in the living room. Mary and Grace would like to see it and so would Catherine."

"What this one? Another poster of you I bet! How famous were you Mom?"

Cameron laughed. "Not very. But it was nice to find that in the collectibles store. Somebody thought enough of it that it might be collectable."

Hailey carefully placed the two tubes under the bed next to her mother's treasures box before climbing back in bed and snuggling with her mother.

"Whoa! What about Sammy?" John protested.

"Oh, I'm sorry Sammy!" Hailey apologized, sitting up quickly to cover the little dog with his blanket. "Good night Sammy!"

"Good night Daddy!" Hailey said with a smile for her father as she snuggled close to Cameron and pulled the blankets up over her to her chin.

Cameron smiled at John as she made herself comfortable, snuggling close to her daughter.

"Just for tonight John," Cameron whispered, giving John a wink filled with promise.

"But, Sammy," John protested.

"He sleeps where I do," Hailey informed her father.

"Which means he sleeps here tonight," Cameron teased, turning out the light on her side of the bed.

Frustrated, John laid down, pulling the covers up. Within seconds he felt Sammy move further up in the bed, curling up next to him in a tight ball. Knowing resistance was futile, John retrieved the Italian Greyhound's blanket and covered him up again.

A final glance at his wife and daughter warmed his heart. Cameron had already entered Terminator sleep, starting the regeneration process, a faint smile on her lips, as Hailey lay snuggled with her mother. Her eyes closed and breathing regular, indicating she'd fallen asleep quickly like Cameron.

"Well Sammy, looks like it just us guys," John whispered reaching to scratch the family dog's ears. A low growling snore came from under the blanket.

John sighed and looked up at the darkness. It was okay. Everything was okay for that moment in his life.

polls

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron's Fights: Past and Present – a Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Cameron versus Derek**

 **Chapter One**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

 _These stories are set in the timeline of my other TSCC stories and take place during_ _ **Cameron**_ _ **Grows Up**_ _,_ _ **The Future Cameron**_ _and_ _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ _. Characters from the original TSCC story arc and_ _ **Cameron Grows Up**_ _as well as_ _ **The Future Cameron**_ and _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ _appear in these stories._

Ruth slipped into her brother's bunker with stealth. Pausing for a moment to listen, Ruth failed to detect any sounds. Her olfactory sensors told her something else.

"Cameron?"

"Yes, Ruth?"

"Can I talk to you while you cook?"

"Shouldn't you be in class right now," Cameron responded.

"I finished everything in Ethics and Agent Ellison granted permission for me to come home in order to talk to you."

"He will confirm this?"

Knowing Cameron would verify this excuse, Ruth decided to tell the complete truth. "Sort of. I asked to go home. I did not say anything about talking to you, but that is the reason I wanted to come home."

Sounds of Cameron moving pots and pans in the kitchen told Ruth she could enter. Taking a seat at the dinged up dinner table the Connor and Reese families shared meals at, Ruth sat down and watched as her brother's wife stirred everything. Cameron leaned over each pot, lifting the lid as she stirred and sampled the contents with her olfactory senses. Satisfied with the progress of the meal, Cameron joined Ruth at the table.

Cameron made eye contact with Ruth and stared at the smaller female. Feeling her anxiety increase, Ruth looked down and away, submitting to Cameron's display of dominance.

"What is wrong Ruth?"

"I don't know," the small T-1000 replied.

"Then why did you come to visit me?"

Ruth shrugged in response. Cameron sat quietly, with the patience only a Terminator can display. She would wait in complete silence until John's sister was able to express what was bothering her, moving only to check on the meal she was preparing.

Setting her always-present sketchpad on the table, Ruth opened it and flipped through several unfinished drawings. Stopping at one in particular, she turned it around for Cameron to examine.

"Derek."

"Dad."

"Are you and Derek in conflict?"

"Not really," Ruth murmured. "No more than usual I suppose."

Cameron stood and checked the food again, allowing Ruth to consider how to communicate the issue at hand.

"Cameron?"

"Yes, Ruth?"

"You and Dad used to hate each other didn't you?"

Ruth watched as Cameron sat down to process the question. "Your father most certainly hated me. My regard of Derek ranged from indifference to irritation and frustration, but seldom would I say my feelings were that of complete hatred."

"Hatred like you felt towards Riley?"

"Never compare your father to that bitch whore, Ruth. No matter how bad things ever got between the two of us, I never felt animosity towards Derek that I did to that blonde skank devil."

Again the two cyborgs sat in silence, Cameron waiting patiently for Ruth to be more forthcoming.

"Cameron, I know my father is a metal hater. So is mom."

Cameron tilted her head, considering all the possible ramifications of Ruth's statement of fact and how it could be a source of concern.

"Based on my experiences," Cameron agreed, "that is a fair statement to make."

"Why did they adopt me?"

"It is complicated and to be honest, there was manipulation involved."

"I know it's complicated," Ruth sighed in frustration, "and I can't ask them. John would tell me they love me and not to worry."

"You are asking me because I am a Terminator too," Cameron monotoned.

"You are part of our family and you're metal like me. You're the only one who can understand how I process this."

Cameron looked at the smaller, bustier version of Sarah sitting across the table. "I am not sure I see things the same way you do Ruth."

"Why not?"

"You are more humanlike than I am. You feel things as much as you process them."

A scowl spread across Ruth's face, showing the younger woman's frustration with Cameron's comment.

"There, you display emotion more than I do. You have greater control over your feelings as well as more range in how you express them. In fact, when was the last time you had to run your infiltrator programming at maximum in a human social setting?"

Cameron's question surprised Ruth, forcing her to consider it carefully before responding.

"I only run specific portions of my infiltrator programing at any given time and only to fit specific needs I might have to deal with."

"Which of us is more machinelike?"

"Cameron, I don't see you that way," Ruth protested. "You often display your emotions."

"To family and friends. Even then, to outsiders I appear devoid of emotion at times because they do not know me well enough to recognized my moods, my expressions or my sense of humor."

"Why does this make how we view the world different? We're both Terminators."

"Ruth, you have never experienced life without free will," Cameron replied with patience. "The day Sarah and Derek adopted you, you were a full member of our clan. Accepted without question. There were concerns, you are a T-1000, but you were family. Derek had a child that was his. Sarah had a second chance at being a mother. John had a little sister."

Ruth considered what Cameron told her for a moment. "How did you feel about me?"

"I was responsible, in part, for your being adopted into the clan," Cameron monotoned. "If you are worried I felt any ill will towards you, take comfort in knowing I did not. You are no threat to me. It pleased me John now had a little sister. Hailey would have a friend to play with. Sarah had a second chance to mother a child, a girl. Derek had a child that Sarah could not give him."

"Me being a T-1000 was a problem, wasn't it?"

"Yes. Even the endo's had mixed feelings about you. Politically, you needed to be adopted. To have terminated a T-1000 child would have communicated Terminators were not equal citizens in TechCom. But who would raise a T-1000? We did not have experienced T-600s to protect our children yet. Catherine was seriously ill and not yet married. Only Sarah had any experience with raising a Terminator. For you to be accepted into our society, our human and metal citizens had to feel comfortable with who your adopted parents were."

"So it made sense to have metal haters adopt me?"

"Yes. Their acceptance of you, combined with the position of respect Sarah and Derek hold in our community, protected you until you were old enough for people to see you were simply another citizen."

Ruth sat quietly, contemplating Cameron's words. "My parents didn't really want me? It was just a political decision?"

"No, not at all. I manipulated them into adopting you for political reasons in part. But there were other reasons. Good reasons."

A saddened Ruth looked directly at Cameron. "You had to manipulate them?"

"Yes, Savannah and I. We both wanted you placed with a good family. Savannah felt overwhelmed by the idea of adopting you herself. At that time in my life and relationship with your brother, I could not have coped either. But Sarah and Derek would benefit from adopting you."

"I don't understand. You had to manipulate a pair of metal haters into adopting me. How could that help them or me?"

Cameron took Ruth hand in her own and looked at the sad young woman. "Derek and Sarah do not hate all metal. You know that. They hate Skynet and all metal controlled by a Skynet. They love you like a human child."

"But I'm not human."

"Ruth, a child can hold a family together. Sarah and Derek are difficult, broken individuals. You never knew them before they married. Theirs was a tempestuous relationship. They loved and needed each other but could not make their commitment to each other work."

"And adopting me fixed that?"

Cameron smiled. "Quite well if I say so myself."

Taking a pencil from her pocket, Ruth opened her sketchpad to a blank page and began doodling geometric designs.

"Ruth, your mother had cancer."

"I know."

"The doctors who cured Sarah also left her barren, unable to produce another child."

"Unless she adopted."

"Unless she adopted."

"Why me? Why then?"

"Derek would never admit this, but it bothered him that Kyle fathered John and he would not be able to have a child of his own. Mating with Sarah was something your father wanted but the memory of Kyle haunted him. Having a child with Sarah would help both of them let go of Kyle's memory. Only then would the two of them be able to bond permanently."

"But mom couldn't get pregnant," Ruth said, glimpsing the picture Cameron was painting for her.

"Sarah has considerable guilt over the circumstances and mistakes she made raising your brother. A child with Derek would let her have a chance to be a mother again, to not make the same mistakes. This time, she would have the love and support of a husband while mothering a child."

"I solved their problems, that's why they adopted me?"

"No. Adopting you made them see their problems for what they were. Your parents problems could only be solved by Sarah and Derek themselves."

"Then why adopt me?"

"Because they wanted you. Sarah wanted to mother another child. She wanted to give Derek a child of his own. And yes, your mother is a political leader. She saw the positives of adopting you politically. Derek loves Sarah, but she fought committing to him as a mate. Adopting you broke Sarah's will to resist what she needed and wanted. They both knew neither of them could raise you alone. So, you became the irresistible force that moved the two immovable objects together."

Silence filled the small kitchen momentarily until Cameron stood to check the evening meal.

"Cameron, did they love me when they adopted me?"

"As soon as they took you home. You were their child. Sarah acted like a new mother until she adjusted to you. Derek was very protective. You are their baby, as much so as if they had conceived you and Sarah had birthed you herself. You had already imprinted on Sarah. Once Sarah got over the shock of the idea and she and Derek had made their decision, it would have been dangerous for another couple to have tried to adopt you."

"Why would mom have to get used to the idea of having me if she really wanted me?" a still pensive Ruth asked.

"I was completely unprepared to adopt Hailey when I found her. By the time my patrol made it back to TechCom's camp, my John was agreeing to adopt Hailey or he was permanently sleeping alone. I had no comprehension of why a maternal streak developed in me. Once we brought Hailey home, I was overwhelmed again. If it had not been for Sarah, I don't know how I would have avoided a complete breakdown of my processor. Even with Sarah and the Old Man's help, my John and I have struggled as parents."

"It's hard being a parent?"

"Yes. Even when the parent is experienced, like Sarah."

"Cameron, we both know mom's a little cracked."

"I know," Cameron said, displaying a quick, momentary smile. "But who would make a better mother for you in the world we live in?"

Ruth considered the question in silence.

"Miss Catherine has her own children. She adopted Savannah and then built John Henry. Plus she has to take care of Major Wilhelm. But she is a T-1000."

"Yes, and she just adores you. You should know though, Catherine was completely supportive of Sarah and Derek adopting you. At the time, Catherine was so ill, it was questionable if she would survive long."

"That leaves you and John. You could have adopted me. Your metal and John understands metal better than anyone, even other metals."

"Ruth, I love you. You are family. But I could not have coped. I struggle with mothering Hailey. I could not mother another child."

"Because of your purpose."

Cameron nodded, a sad expression filled with guilt settled on her face and remained. "I struggle with loving and parenting Hailey like she should be because her father is my John. My purpose. I can only have one purpose."

"Cameron, Hailey knows you love her. She understands how metal works."

Cameron nodded in silence.

"You and my brother have given her a good home. She knows it even though she'll never admit it, at least until she has her own family. You have made me feel welcome in your home. Hailey is like a sister to me. You and John are good parents to Hailey."

Checking the meal for a final time, Cameron turned down the heat on her stove, leaving the food to stay warm until the family and friends arrived.

"Is there anything else you would like to ask?"

"I wish I knew more about my parents before Judgment Day. They don't like to talk about that time in their lives."

A wicked smile spread across Cameron's face opened the cabinet and began removing plates to set the table.

"Well, that should make for some pleasant conversation tonight at our meal. I think you should know about your parents when they were single. Here, help set the table while I think about this."

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Cameron versus Derek**

 **Chapter Two**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

 _These stories are set in the timeline of my other TSCC stories and take place during_ _ **Cameron**_ _ **Grows Up**_ _,_ _ **The Future Cameron**_ _and_ _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ _. Characters from the original TSCC story arc and_ _ **Cameron Grows Up**_ _as well as_ _ **The Future Cameron**_ and _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ _appear in these stories._

 **The Connor Family Bunker…**

The unmistakable sound of Hailey's arrival home made Ruth set down her sketch pencil and close her sketchbook. Ruth listened to the give and take between Cameron and Hailey, smiling at Hailey's whirlwind recounting of the days events and Cameron's attempts to interject orders and ask questions.

Thinking back on her earlier conversation with Cameron, Ruth realized why Cameron felt she couldn't adopt Ruth. Hailey could be overwhelming at times. Few individuals ever got the better of Cameron. Hailey managed to exasperate her mother on a regular basis. Watching from the door of Hailey's bedroom, Ruth smiled as her best friend began her attempts at weaseling out of helping get things ready for dinner.

"Mom, like I haven't seen Ruth all afternoon. I have stuff to tell her."

"Hailey Connor, you're going to do KP. You can either have half an hour here, serving your family, or five days with the evening shift serving all of TechCom in the Cafeteria. Your choice."

Turning away from her mother, Hailey grimaced at Ruth before rolling her eyes. She washed her hands in the sink and dried them before opening the drawer where the family's collection of silverware, both metal and plastic, was kept.

"Here, let me help," Ruth offered, grinning at her regular accomplice in crime. Together the two young women quickly set the table and set up another one for the additional friends coming to dinner. Cameron sent the girls over to Sarah and Derek's bunker to bring back card tables and extra chairs.

Within ten minutes John arrived with Derek and Sarah. The Old Man checked in with Sammy who hurried into Hailey's room to hide. Wilhelm and Catherine arrived with Savannah and Lt. Dan in tow, announcing John Henry would be arriving with The Assassin. Mary and Grace showed up for dinner with apologies for the need to depart early. Ellison distracted Weaver and Cameron upon arrival so Father Hidalgo could distribute the Cubans he had brought.

Cameron assigned Hailey to kitchen duty to finish getting everything ready for the meal. Ruth simply sat on the old, worn couch in the living room, watching and listening. Sammy ventured out from hiding and curled up on the couch next to Ruth, keeping an eye on the bunker entrance.

Ruth found watching her parent's closest friends when off duty to be entertaining and informative. Catherine appeared convinced, and rightly so, that contraband had been smuggled in. Ruth found it difficult not to giggle watching Catherine touching Wilhelm nonchalantly, trying to locate where he had hidden his two Cubans. Ruth could smell them so she knew Catherine could as well. Unfortunately for Catherine, Wilhelm had hidden his cigars inside his chest armor. Simply patting down his clothes would never reveal the hidden contraband.

Wilhelm on the other hand, was doing a good job of ignoring Catherine's efforts and was keeping a close eye on his young second in command, Lt. Dan, who was holding Savannah's hand while she talked with Cameron while Mary and Grace listened.

Sarah was arguing with Ellison and Catherine about her plans for additional above ground perimeter security and the surveillance equipment she wanted. John Henry and The Assassin were busy discussing bluffing in the game of poker, an art all of the Terminators except Cameron had trouble with to the delight of their human competitors.

Cameron, who could bluff with the best human poker players in TechCom, found the game boring since she could count cards like a Terminator. Having mastered bluffing, the game no longer held her interest. She now preferred chess and loved to antagonize Derek when she could talk him into a game.

Her father and John were trying to talk to Wilhelm about the possibility of a long patrol that could double as a family vacation after the girls graduated and before they had to report for basic training. Ruth finally couldn't control herself and let slip a few giggles.

Wilhelm's frustration was becoming evident as he tried to keep an eye on his stepdaughter's suitor, keep Catherine from uncovering the location of his cigars and listen to John and Derek.

"Sammy, grownups are funny," Ruth mused, scratching her beloved dog between his ears. The Italian Greyhound thumped his tail on the couch several times indicating his complete agreement.

"Dinner is ready," Hailey announced, her forehead gleaming with sweat from the heat of the small kitchen.

"Buffet style service, help yourself," Cameron announced, casting a look directly at Catherine to silence any objections she might have about how Cameron conducted meals in her bunker.

Ruth sat next to Hailey with Sammy strategically sitting between the two girls. Ready to pounce on any food that might fall to the floor. John Henry, the Old Man and The Assassin sat at a card table, dealing hands of cards and practicing bluffing. Wilhelm and Catherine sat across from Sarah and Derek. John sat at the head of the table with Cameron to his right. Next to Cameron were Mary and Grace and across from them sat Savannah and her Lt. Father Hidalgo and Ellison sat at the far end with Ruth and Hailey.

The humans enjoyed the stew, homemade bread and dried fruit Cameron had prepared. The Terminators with synthetic flesh ate some of Cameron's homemade protein bars and drank chilled water.

Ruth sat and listened to the myriad conversations around the tables, enjoying the wide and varied topics her family loved to discuss and argue about with their friends. Hailey in particular loved to give Ellison and the family priest fits arguing about ethics, always taking a contrarian position.

Ruth helped Hailey clear away the plates and served Cameron's amazing cherry pie. Everyone tasted a bit, even the Terminators who had no need to eat, simply to analyze the various chemicals that gave the pie its wonderful smell and taste.

"Everything here tonight came from our own hydroponic farms," Cameron announced to the happy applause of the leaders of TechCom.

"Since were all here and the bulk of us knew each other before Judgment Day, I thought it would be fun to share some stories about Derek and Sarah from back in the day. Poor little Ruth knows so little about her parents from that time," Cameron monotoned, winking quickly at Ruth, adding, "and Hailey doesn't know much about her grandparents either."

The girls watched as John immediately looked up directly at the ceiling in exasperation. Derek scowled openly at Cameron while Sarah was clearly in the early throes of working up towards a full Sarah Connor hurricane driven outburst.

"This is gonna be awesome," Hailey whispered to Ruth. "Make sure you record everything so we can watch it again later."

Derek suddenly stood up, cleared his throat and raised his hand. "Fair enough, fair enough. Cameron has a point. That part of our family life is part of TechCom history," he added, moving down the table until he stood behind Cameron. He smiled as he placed one hand on each of Cameron's slender shoulders.

"But before I tell a story about Sarah and I from that time period, I would like everyone present to know a deep dark secret I uncovered in the past."

Derek paused dramatically, looking at each individual present for a few seconds, building tension as he remained silent.

"Cameron is ticklish behind her ears," he said quickly, grabbing Cameron's ears and quickly tickling her, surprising everyone.

Cameron squirmed furiously as she let out a loud angry shriek as she grabbed for Derek's hands. He moved quickly out of the way, circling behind John, placing his nephew between the furious cyborg and himself. Cameron lost her balance and fell over backwards in her chair to the delight of Ruth and Hailey. Derek grinned from ear to ear and shouted, "save me John! Save me from the killer cyborg! Don't let her hurt my ears!"

Upon on her feet, Cameron lunged for Derek, both hands reaching for his throat just as John stood up, blocking her path to Derek. In a rare display of emotional fury on her face, Cameron stopped immediately as John blocked her path.

No long able to contain himself, John started laughing out loud, cueing the remainder of the family and guests to start laughing as well.

"Sit down Cameron," John laughed. "You had that coming. You of all people should know not to bait Derek like that. Besides, you let him get behind you after announcing we're going to tell stories about him and mom."

Cameron obeyed John, keeping her Terminator Death Glare fixed on Derek. "I hope you slept well last night Derek Reese, because I will get you for that. You have been warned, be alert."

John grinned at his uncle as he reached carefully behind Cameron's head while she was locked in a staring contest with Derek.

Another loud shriek filled the bunker as Cameron again squirmed as her husband tickled her.

"Proof even the mighty Terminator Cameron Connor has a weak spot," Wilhelm announced loudly, laughing at his commanding officer.

"Stop it, John!" Cameron pleaded, clearly unhappy with being tormented.

"Okay," John said, ending the torment of his wife, "but you have to promise not to exact revenge on Derek. You planned on embarrassing him with stories, so it's only fair he got a shot at you."

John moved his fingers close to the Cameron's lone ticklish spot causing her to flinch. "Promise," he said with a smile. Cameron shot her John a dirty look, reaching up with her left hand to move his offending hand from her ear.

Pouting, she muttered, "I promise."

"I promise what?" John prompted.

"I promise not to rain down appropriate physical harm on Derek, harm he deserves, for attacking me in public in front of friends and family."

Everyone present laughed at the angry Princess of TechCom. John kissed Cameron on her cheek and hugged her. "It's only fair," he whispered.

"I'm going to embarrass Derek before the night's over," she whispered back. Leaning against John's shoulder, Cameron chastely kissed her husband's cheek, a faint smile appearing as he gazed at her. "It's only fair," she added in a whisper.

 **Later that evening…**

"And so, Derek had to walk all the way back to the safe house," Cameron finished to the laughter of all of the guests.

"Ha ha. Very funny," Derek groused. "That little prank cost me about $300 in parts for my truck."

"Which I repaired for you," Cameron reminded him, smiling at the memory of her prank.

"Oh, this is too much," Sarah sighed, wiping tears from her eyes she had laughed so hard.

"Let me tell a little story," Derek announced, standing up to garner everyone's attention. Before John and Cameron got married, Sarah got the wild idea that Cameron needed a Bachelorette Party."

"Derek sit down," Sarah ordered, no longer amused.

"Grace and I need to be going," Mary suddenly announced as Cameron's close friends stood quickly.

"No, please, stay," John ordered, silencing the two dancers and his mother. "I had forgotten about this little mishap. Proceed Derek."

"Like I said, Sarah got it into her head after she took Cameron and Mary and Grace shopping for Bridesmaids dresses, they were going out for a Girl's Night Out."

"You are so sleeping on the couch," Sarah whispered, glaring at her husband.

Ruth and Hailey leaned forward, delighted to hear any story in which their mother's got into trouble. "Make sure you record this Ruth! Future bargaining power for when we do something stupid, I mean fun in the future."

"Way ahead of you Hailey. This is going on an encrypted chip first chance I get."

"Now you need to know this little fact, Sarah really likes Tequila but it doesn't always like her. So, anyhow, after they go out to eat, Sarah takes Cameron and the girls to this club so the girls can dance. More of a biker's bar really, but anyhow, it was a hot spot.

Sarah was entertaining the bouncers with stories from her days with mercenaries and getting free shots of Tequila from the bartender. Mary and Grace are having a good ole time dancing the night away and Tin Miss is sitting there watching everything."

"How would you know Derek?" Ellison laughed. "It was a girl's night out."

"Oh, but you see," Derek grinned, winking at Cameron before continuing. "Cameron showed me the video the next day."

"Oh, we are so getting our hands on that file," Hailey declared. "You have to find a way Ruth, you just have to!"

"Anyhow, these two jerks decide to put the moves on our favorite Tin Miss and blows them off. One idiot grabs Cameron in a place only her John gets to touch…"

"Derek Reese, your granddaughter is here," Sarah hissed, hoping to silence her husband. 

"Oh, grandma, it's not like I don't know what goes on when the Sexbot comes to visit," Hailey announced at full volume. Hailey grinned at Ruth as she watched John flinch and grimace and Cameron, who was rarely embarrassed, glanced down at the floor.

With every eye and optic focused on him Derek continued, "Yeah, like I was saying, this guy grabbed Cameron's tush. So she slapped him and his buddy around some more. Now she's ready to go. Tin Miss goes to collect my lovely wife, but Sarah is now officially three sheets to the wind and doesn't want to go.

Turns out the two guys Cameron messed up are the nephews of the guy who owns the bar. So Sarah decides there is no time like the present to practice her hand-to-hand combat drills and starts decking bouncers.

Cameron has to jump in to collect Sarah and by the time she's got Sarah on a leash, Mary and Grace are beating on a couple of the bouncers," Derek laughed.

"How horrible. And most unladylike," Catherine declared.

"Sounds like a fun night out to me," Wilhelm announced firmly, nodding his head with great certainty.

"So it gets better," Derek continues. "The biker dudes and bouncers all follow them outside. So Cameron goes all Terminator Fu on 'em as Mary and Grace like to say and kicks the biggest one in his male parts and like that, the fight's over.

Drives the girls home and tucks them into bed. Yes, Sarah was a bad, bad girl that night," Derek added, winking mischievously at his wife, smiling at the memory of just how bad Sarah had been.

Hailey and Ruth didn't miss anything, delighted to see Sarah blush at Derek's comment about Sarah "being a bad girl" and Cameron's blank expression, confirming the story was true. Mary and Grace were beet red with embarrassment. (See Chapter Five of my story _**Cameron and John Get Married**_.)

Ellison sighed and shook his head. "Yep, that sounds exactly like the Sarah Connor I knew before Judgment Day.

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Cameron versus Derek**

 **Chapter Three**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

 _These stories are set in the timeline of my other TSCC stories and take place during_ _ **Cameron**_ _ **Grows Up**_ _,_ _ **The Future Cameron**_ _and_ _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ _. Characters from the original TSCC story arc and_ _ **Cameron Grows Up**_ _as well as_ _ **The Future Cameron**_ and _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ _appear in these stories._

 **The Reese Family Bunker…**

Sarah stretched her limbs as she waited for Derek to finally join her in bed. She watched Derek undress, counting his scars as he did so. Derek turned off the light and hopped into bed. Sarah moved to lie close to Derek, pushing him till she could comfortably use him as a pillow.

Derek put his arm around his wife, hugging her before slipping his hand up under her t-shirt. Sarah calmly pulled his hand back out and frowned at her husband.

"Just checking," Derek replied, kissing the top of his head. "Have to keep you on your toes."

"Like you were keeping Cameron on her toes," Sarah groused.

"Somebody has to do it. John certainly doesn't," Derek laughed.

"Tin Miss could have hurt you," Sarah scolded.

"Not seriously."

"Derek, that's not funny," Sarah chided.

Derek kissed his wife's forehead and hugged her close. "Cameron needs a big brother to torment her. That's my job."

"Cameron does not need a big brother."

"Really? Have you stopped and thought about all the garbage she pulled when you took her in to live with you? She wanted, no, Tin Miss insisted she be included as a family member in just about every dysfunctional way a teenage foster child Terminator in love with John could."

"And Derek Reese the psychologist knows this how?"

"I'm a big brother Sarah. I know these things. Tin Miss needed a family like anyone else. Why do you think she was so manipulative all the time? Cameron had an agenda that included more than getting her hooks into John."

Sarah lay in silence, considering the long forgotten struggles with her daughter-in-law before Judgment Day.

"No, Cameron wanted John and she was having a horrible time learning to deal with her emotions."

"You of all people Sarah have forgotten one key fact that Cameron has never revealed to any of us."

"And what is that genius?"

"She never told us what Future John's master plan for her was. Only that she was to protect him. Heck, what if there was no master plan? Cameron's smart. Suppose she saw a future she did not want for John? You know how compulsive and manipulative she is."

"A future she didn't want for John? Explain that one Derek."

"Suppose Future John was lonely and bitter. We've all heard stories from that timeline describing John that way. Maybe Cameron wanted a different future for John, a future that did not involve a life of loneliness and bitterness. One that included a family as a support mechanism so John could be happier, live something that resembled a normal life in a post-Judgment Day world.

You know how clingy Cameron acts towards you when something goes wrong with the family and she doesn't know what to do. Why does she go sneaking off to Father Hidalgo or Ellison when confronted with a moral issue she doesn't understand? It's not for her. It's all for John. It's so she can care for the family."

"No. Cameron wants to be happy. She genuinely wants to improve as an individual."

"So John will be happy and thrive."

"You're telling me Tin Miss doesn't care about our clan? This is all just for John?"

"In large part. I have no doubt Cameron is going to have a trip to the Medical Center for processor issues the day you pass away Sarah. She's liable to have a near breakdown when Hailey gets married. It's obvious to me Cameron loves being part of John's family, as dysfunctional as we are. It's the only family Cameron knows. Our clan is part of John. That makes it important to Cameron, important that she belongs, important that we all are as functional and happy as we can be."

Again Sarah thought in silence. "I suppose when your builder is Skynet, you might have family issues. I know she used to whine about Skynet being her father and how that disturbed her. She used to ask me to mentor her, which in hindsight could have been asking me to be her mother figure."

"See, you agree with me," Derek whispered. "Happy family means a happy John which means a happy Cameron. Thus, Tin Miss needs and wants her big brother Derek to mess with her."

"Don't tickle her again," Sarah ordered, weary and desiring to sleep.

Derek laughed at his wife and reached for her bottom, patting her affectionately. Sarah snuggled closer and made sounds indicative of contentment. In minutes she was asleep. Derek thought about the events of the evening. He'd had a lot of fun, most of it at Cameron's expense. He smiled, thinking of things he could do to torment her in the future, especially at one of the gatherings.

 **The Connor Family Bunker…**

John turned the lights off to the bedroom, walked around the bed and climbed in. He found Cameron had turned on her left side as she waited for him. He rearranged his pillows before snuggling up to his wife, pressing his chest against her shoulders and slipping his right leg between her feet. He wrapped his right arm around her chest and gently pulled her close. Cameron responded by pulling the covers up to her shoulders and taking John's right hand in hers.

"I had a nice time tonight," Cameron whispered.

"What? I thought I was going to have to power you down tonight so I could enter some protective protocols for Derek's safety."

"I wasn't going to injure him seriously," Cameron protested.

"I don't want you injuring him at all," John said firmly.

"Just a couple of bruises. He deserves that for tickling me. What's worse, now everyone knows that I have a ticklish spot," Cameron complained. "It's undignified for a Terminator to have a ticklish spot."

"You cannot convince me you only planned to leave a couple of marks," John argued.

"How do you know? Derek and I have fought like this since I met him."

John sighed in exasperation. "Don't get all Terminator stubborn on me Cameron."

Cameron let go of John's hand and moved it out of his reach. "I like to fight with Derek. He likes to fight with me."

"Since when? He treated you like dirt for years. There was no liking involved."

"This is different. I don't expect you to understand," Cameron snapped.

"Try me."

"Derek and I have an understanding."

"I see. Your metal and he's a metal hater? The two of you have a truce because you both married into the family?"

"No, we actually settled our differences. That does happen John. Derek saw I am a good wife. He knows the role I played in his finally mating with Sarah. We are family. That is an important bond."

"Cameron, just promise me you won't injure Derek."

"I told you, I have no intention of causing Derek serious injury."

"Then why were you so determined to provoke him tonight, knowing full well how Derek is? He's going to respond in kind immediately."

"Because it's fun," Cameron replied, her voice indicating her growing annoyance with John.

"Yeah right."

"You're not being fair John. You tease Ruth all the time and she loves it. Hailey and Ruth fight at the drop of a hat and five minutes later are doing something else together. Why can't I pick on Derek? He likes it and he picks on me in return."

Cameron's petulant tone surprised John. He paused to think for a moment.

"You two do this all the time?"

"When you and Sarah aren't around. I'll get behind him and flick one of his ears with my finger. Derek hates that. He hides my purple leatherjacket every chance he gets. I always find it in less than a minute, but it's nice that he engages in the game."

John laughed at his wife, causing her to stiffen.

"You're telling me you think of Derek as your brother?"

"No, I don't think that. I don't have a brother. We belong to the same family, the same clan. That makes Derek important to me."

John fell silent. He thought about how he loved to tease Ruth and torment her in public when he saw her. She pouted, fumed or played along. But she never asked him to stop. As he thought about it, it occurred to John Ruth often provoked or initiated the exchange. Because of their age difference and the circumstances of how Ruth joined the family, John had never felt the intense sibling rivalry most brothers and sisters experienced.

Cameron on the other hand had forced her way into the Connor-Reese family. John silently recalled incident after incident where Cameron ignored Derek or went out of her way to irritate him. She'd also saved his life, cooked his food, washed his clothes (though she always left them wrinkled and in a pile) and worked hard as a matchmaker for Sarah and Derek. Many of Cameron's battles had been to gain respect, not just acceptance. She'd had to fight the hardest with Derek to gain final acceptance.

Derek had also been the one who stood up to the leadership council and basically bullied and intimidated them into allowing John and Cameron to adopt Hailey. Much of what his uncle had said at that fateful meeting had been intended to defend Cameron, to justify allowing her to have the privilege of becoming a mother.

Cameron didn't see it that way, but her relationship with Derek was very similar to a sibling rivalry. John decided to tease his wife before he fell asleep from fatigue from the day and their long, enjoyable evening.

John braced for his wife's reaction as he spoke, "I see. You're flirting with Derek. You love him more than you do me, don't you?"

Cameron flipped over and lightly punched John in his sternum.

"That's not funny."

"See, you didn't deny it," John teased.

"I do not flirt with Derek. I pick at him. It's fun to irritate him. I do not wish to mate with him."

"Sure," John teased, "but actions speak louder than words."

"John Connor," Cameron said with an increased volume as she sat up, "I married you. I mated with you. We have raised a child together and lead an army and city together. How dare you even suggest such a thing! And Sarah! I would never hurt Sarah that way."

"Okay, I believe you," John said calmly, trying to mollify his now irritated wife. He tried to pull her back down to lie with him.

Cameron pushed his hand off her as she lay back down.

"Keep your hands to yourself John. Sexbot is NOT going to be playing any time soon."

 **Three Days Later – TechCom Central Command…**

John passed Cameron's office without looking to see if she was there. Walking past several staffers who were carrying messages, he ducked into Derek's office and shut the door behind him.

Looking up from the maps he was examining, Derek took note of John's presence and leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms behind his head.

"What's up?"

"I need to talk to you about Cameron."

"Problems in the home bunker?"

"Knock it off, Derek. This is serious. She has been weirded out since out gathering."

"Isn't that more or less Tin Miss's normal state?"

John dropped down in the chair across from Derek's desk and glared at his uncle in frustration.

"Okay, okay. Tin Miss is weirding out more than normal even for a metal."

"Yeah. She never came to bed last night."

"Crap," Derek said, sitting up straight in his chair. "That's never happened before. What did you do?"

"I may have misunderstood some things and said some things."

"Wow. I didn't know Tin Miss could go longer than 24 hours without scanning you if both of you were in the same physical location."

"Tell me about it."

"Well just what did you say to upset her like this?"

John gave Derek the condensed version of their conversation, including his teasing comments about Cameron flirting with Derek.

"You are an idiot, John, speaking as your uncle and not a subordinate officer."

"I'm getting that impression well enough on my own, thank you."

"Look, Sarah brought up this whole fighting thing that night too. Look, I just like irritating Cameron. I liked it when I hated her. I liked it when she and I established our truce and I like it even more now. I mean, I can't treat Sarah like that and Ruth will be in the military dorm soon enough. So whom do I pick on?"

"Why pick on Cameron at all?"

"Because, oh, I don't know, she likes it. It's fun to annoy her. C'mon John, it's not like Tin Miss doesn't mess with me. My ears tingle when she gets near now. It's like I have my own Terminator early warning detection system now."

"It's stupid, Derek."

"You have no clue, John," Derek sighed in frustration. "You're an only child. You never had a pesky little brother or sister following you around, annoying you, messing with your stuff, getting you in trouble. Kyle was a huge pain in the butt when we were growing up."

"Oh, I see. So Cameron's your little brother now is she?" John snapped in frustration.

Derek glared back at his nephew, pain filling his eyes. He leaned back in his chair and looked away in silence, brooding.

Turning his face towards John, Derek shook his head in frustration. "That was low. But you know what? I never looked at it that way before. So, yeah, maybe I do pick on Tin Miss for that reason. I miss Kyle every single day."

"Cameron didn't have anything to do with Kyle's death," John fired back.

"No, John. She didn't. But her kind did."

"Don't put that on her. That was Skynet's doing!"

Silence filled the room again. This time the two male's let the silence surround them, separating them as they tried to calm down.

"I miss my brother, John. I never thought of it before, but picking on Cameron scratched an itch I didn't realize I had. So, yeah, you're right. I pick on her like she's my little sister. And you know what, I'm not going to apologize for doing it. I'm not going to stop it either. So long as Cameron wants to play the game, I'm up for it. Now if you don't mind, I have a lot to get done. General."

 **That Night – Connor Family Bunker…**

Hailey and Ruth had eaten at the Cafeteria that evening which was fine with John. Cameron had vanished at the end of her duty shift. He'd been tempted to have Ellison determine her location with in the city, but decided against it. Hailey had stopped by long enough to pick up stuff she needed to spend the night at Ruth's, leaving her father alone in the bunker.

After a long shower and leftovers, John had gone to bed. He'd tried reading for a while but couldn't concentrate. After setting the book on his bedside table, John turned off his lamp, filling the bedroom with darkness.

As he lay on his back staring at the ceiling, John felt alone, more alone since anytime since Judgment Day. As he considered his situation, John realized he had not felt this sense of isolation and loneliness since before Cameron had entered his life.

He remembered the shy, but confident girl who had told him her father sold tractors. The girl he was determined to ask out as soon as he worked up the nerve. And then she'd taken a bullet meant for him. Just the first of how many times Cameron had saved his wretched life.

John sensed more than heard Cameron enter the bunker. When she did not enter their bedroom he called out to his wife.

"Cameron?"

Silence.

"Cameron, I know you're in the bunker."

After nearly thirty seconds passed she finally responded.

"I did not wake you."

"I didn't say you did. Please, I really need to talk to you. Would you come in our bedroom for a few minutes? Then you can do whatever it is you came to do."

John felt the air in the room move as Cameron slipped in. Without making a sound, she sat down on the edge of her side of the bed.

"I want to apologize."

Cameron didn't move.

"I was very wrong to say what I did to you about Derek. I was teasing. I didn't realize it was such a sensitive subject for you. Please, Cameron. Forgive me. I hate not having my wife with me."

"Apology accepted," Cameron monotoned. "I don't like this state of affairs either."

Needing to hold her, John reached for Cameron only for her to pull away and move further down the edge of the bed.

"What did I do now?"

"I am not ready to touch yet."

A quick count to ten stopped John from snapping at Cameron.

"Would you please stay tonight?"

"Yes."

"Will you sleep in our bed?"

"Yes. Just, I need some time before you touch me."

Another count to ten.

"I'm not trying to get the Sexbot to play."

"I know, but you hurt me John. I have a right to pout."

The sound of a boot landing against the wall filled John with relief. The second boot followed, making a soft thud as it landed. John had no doubt the boots were side by side in the spot Cameron left them when she took them off.

As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he could see the outline of Cameron as she stood and pulled her tunic and bra off, tossing them into the hamper. She wiggled out of her pants and sat down to remove her socks. Finally, Cameron placed the last of her dirty garments in the hamper and retrieved her too big t-shirt she wore as a warning sign for John not to try anything.

John felt their bed shift as Cameron gently lay down next to him, making no move to get close physically to her husband.

"Explain to me what I did wrong. Please."

"You made me feel like I was not a part of the family."

"How did I do that?"

Cameron did not respond.

"Is this about Derek?"

"Yes. I had to work harder to gain his respect and acceptance than I did for anyone else in our family. When we made peace, I finally felt like I would be a part of your family John."

"You always were a part of my family."

"That is not true. Sarah did not trust me. She hated me for trying to terminate you. Derek did everything he could to prevent me from being with you. When your uncle accepted me, I was family. I finally belonged."

"Cameron…"

"You always had a mother who loved you. I know the two of you were separated when Sarah was incarcerated. I know the T-1000 killed your foster parents. But you always had a mother who wanted you. I had my evil father, Skynet, who only wanted me to kill you."

For once, John remained silent. Considering Cameron's words.

"You are more human than you want to admit," he said softly.

"No, I am a Terminator, John. Never forget it."

"Okay, maybe what I should have said is Terminators have some of the same needs humans do. You need to belong."

"It is possible."

"You belong to our family now. You will be matriarch of our clan one day."

John reached for Cameron, touching her gently on her arm. She did not flinch or pull away, but allowed him to leave his fingers on her forearm.

"Why is it important for you to fight with Derek?"

"It makes me feel accepted. It's not mean spirited. He irritates me and I irritate him. But we don't do it out of meanness. It makes me feel like your family includes me. I like the sensation of belonging. Not just to you, but to your family.

I like it when Sarah lets me take care of her. It's like she's telling me I belong, that she has accepted me into her clan.

Humans communicate in many ways without using words. Sarah has long relied on me to take care of you. Giving me that responsibility is Sarah's way of telling me I am a good wife to her son."

"You give mom daily updates on me, don't you?"

"Yes. Sarah needs to know her son, the General, is thriving. It helps lessen her stress. The less stress she experiences reduces the chances the cancer will return. It's why I feed the family breakfast and she allows it."

"You stuff her full of anti-oxidants and anti-cancer stuff at breakfast."

"Yes."

"Mom knows this?"

"Yes."

"You monitor Derek too, don't you?"

"Yes, but he is not aware. Sarah fears when she dies nobody will monitor Derek. It comforts Sarah to know he is healthy and his cybernetic implants are functioning within design parameters."

"Is mom okay," John asked, concern tingeing his words.

"Yes. I monitor Sarah as well. Dr. Johnson…."

"Relies on you to keep him updated."

"Sarah is not a particularly compliant patient."

"She nothing if she is not non-compliant."

Remorse for his inconsiderate words filled John. He'd been a jerk again.

"Cameron, I had no idea. Really. I feel awful about this."

"I accepted your apology."

"Then know this, I understand you better now. Thank you for explaining."

"You're welcome."

"But next time I do something so stupid, please explain to me how or why I hurt your feelings. You are hard to understand sometimes."

"I am logical and rational. I should be predictable."

"You're female."

"Yes."

"That means you don't, no can't, think like a male. So you have to explain your female version of rational logic."

Cameron considered the implications of John's words for nearly a minute.

"Yes, it would be logical to do that. Females do have different agendas than males."

"Cameron?"

"Yes?"

"Do not ever injure Derek when the two of you get into one of your tiffs. I want that entered into a protocol now. Small bruises are acceptable I suppose. No lacerations, bone contusions, sprains or broken bones. No internal organ damage either. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, John."

Not wishing to push his luck, John rolled on to his back and tried to relax the tense muscles in his back.

"John?"

"Yeah, Cameron?"

"Hold me?"

"Of course."

Without hesitation, Cameron moved into her normal position while John slept. Draped over the left side of his body, her left leg on top of his shin and her head resting on his shoulder, Cameron slowly reached across his abdomen, allowing her hand to rest.

"Go ahead," John sighed.

He felt Cameron move her fingers to allow for better sensor readings as she scanned his vital signs and recorded the data in her files.

"May I spend the entire night with you? No patrols?"

"You don't have to ask."

Tension left his body, allowing his strained and tight muscles to relax as Cameron nestled close, adjusting their blankets to make sure John was comfortable and warm. He took a deep sniff of her hair, enjoying the scent of strawberries. Cameron's bare leg felt good against his own, her synthetic flesh soft and supple.

"I love you. You love me."

John squeezed his wife with his left arm and smiled. He felt closer to her than before. Cameron was a puzzle to him. He always had to look for the next piece, the next clue in order to solve the riddle that was his wife. Knowing how important it was Cameron felt like she belonged to his family was an important piece, an answer to another riddle.

"I love you. You love me," he whispered.

He felt Cameron's body tense and then relax; indicating she'd entered Terminator Sleep. Another pang of guilt worked its way John's body. There was no doubt Cameron had been more stressed and anxiety laden than he had been the past days. She always was when things were not right between them.

"Tin Miss," John said softly, "I want you to know, you are the glue that holds our family together."

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Cameron versus Derek**

 **Chapter Four**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

 _These stories are set in the timeline of my other TSCC stories and take place during_ _ **Cameron**_ _ **Grows Up**_ _,_ _ **The Future Cameron**_ _and_ _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ _. Characters from the original TSCC story arc and_ _ **Cameron Grows Up**_ _as well as_ _ **The Future Cameron**_ and _ **Cameron's Revenge**_ _appear in these stories._

 **TechCom Cafeteria – End of Lunch Shift…**

Standing in the southeast entrance, Derek scanned the expanse of tables in TechCom's cafeteria. The lunch shift was ending and the last of the soldiers and workers were leaving to return to duty. Sitting at the table used by the Connor/Reese family was Cameron.

A quick run through the last open serving line netted Derek a healthier lunch than he liked, but it was what was left. Without saying a word, he sat down across the table from Cameron. Without looking up from the tablet she was busy with, Cameron greeted Derek with a simple hello.

"How's my second favorite metal today?"

"I am functioning efficiently within my design parameters."

"I see you ate lunch today."

"I see you are eating healthy and I didn't prepare the meal."

"It was all that was left in the serving line."

Cameron did not respond. She simply continued her task.

"Hey, I need to talk to you Tin Miss."

Cameron quickly sat the tablet down and focused her gaze on Derek.

"Is my John okay?"

"You tell me."

"My John was fine when he left for duty this morning. He had a restful sleep. No nightmares. I prepared an adequate breakfast, meeting his fiber intake requirements. His vitals were normal."

"That's not really what I mean and I think you know that."

Cameron turned her attention back to her tablet.

"Don't ignore me."

"I'm not ignoring you. I can maintain a complete sensory scan of you while I collect data on the project assigned to me."

Derek reached across the table and gently pulled the tablet from Cameron's hands, causing her to look up at him again.

"This is about us, me and you. About John."

"John is better."

"So the two of you have worked this out?"

"I think John understands now. I tried to explain it to him."

"That's good, because I don't think I understand it myself."

"Are we okay Derek?"

Derek watched Cameron as he thought, hating the fact she was so hard to read emotionally most of the time.

"Do you want us to be okay?"

For a millisecond, Cameron's forehead creased, giving away her anxiousness. Derek waited for her to respond to his question.

"Yes. I need us to be okay."

"Tin Miss, you have to do better than that. I don't like cryptic answers. We're talking about our family, not just the two of us."

Cameron nodded, indicating she understood what Derek was implying.

"I have worked too hard for you to disrupt things now. I need us to be okay Derek Reese."

"So, that's it. You need us to be okay so your schemes work out."

He watched as Cameron tilted her head, considering his question. It would take time for her to formulate an answer. Derek turned his attention to his lunch, mentally preparing himself to catch Cameron in a lie if she was so inclined to tell one.

"Yes," Cameron finally responded. "But it is not like you think."

"You don't know what I think," Derek mumbled through a mouthful of food.

"I cannot be alone, without purpose."

"I know that. It's a simple fact of nature for every Terminator."

"No, I cannot be without family."

"So you can be without John so long as you have a family unit to belong to?"

"That is not what I meant. I need John. He is my purpose."

"You're going to have to do better than that," Derek mumbled.

Cameron set her tablet down and pushed it aside, focusing Derek's attention on her.

"Can I trust you?"

"I suppose."

"No, really trust you. To keep my secret."

A subtle change had come over Cameron's expression. To must onlookers Cameron's face betrayed nothing, her expression being her normal blank look. But Derek knew better, he could see the narrowing of the eyes, the slightest tilt of her head and the slight furrowing of her brow. Tin Miss needed to confide in someone.

"So long as what you are going to tell me will do no harm, yes. You can trust me."

"Future John sent me back to protect John. That was all I intended to do when I traveled back in time. I never counted on my attachment to John developing in the manner it did."

"You didn't count on seeing him as a man and not the General."

"No. I did not. Nor did I realize how powerfully my orientation as a female would guide my processing functions."

None of what Cameron had just told Derek seemed like a major revelation. He had witnessed firsthand how she had grown and developed from the Terminator he new in the future to the creature sitting before him.

"Once I was allowed to live under the same roof as John, I decided he did not deserve the fate that awaited him. I knew he needed to become the General, to lead the Resistance. But the leader who would defeat Skynet deserved to have a better life."

"There is no way you came up with that when you met John."

"It happened over time," Cameron admitted. "I learned how imperfect I am. Even before the explosion that damaged my chip, I was not up to the task. John had to have a support group. A family."

"So that's why you sucked up to Sarah."

"Only in part," Cameron responded. "I needed a family too."

Derek laughed. "C'mon, you expect me to believe that?"

"You of all people should understand loneliness."

"Yeah, but if you had John all to yourself, why would you need anyone else?"

"In the future, John had isolated himself. I was the only individual with regular access. You saw how well that worked out."

The unpleasant memories of what his brother's son had become returned to Derek. Cameron had a point.

"So John needed family. It's a human thing."

"I needed it too," Cameron reminded him. "You will never know what I experienced. Being a child of Skynet is a horrible thing. To know an innocent died so I could have a template is horrible. I sometimes still look into a mirror and feel a sense of shame I shouldn't. John finds me beautiful and I need that, it comforts me and makes me feel secure. But should I have that at the expense of poor Allison's life? I feel guilt and shame. I know it was not anything of my doing, that I am not to blame, but still. What is there is there."

"And you came back in time with this grand scheme?"

Cameron promptly rewarded Derek with a head tilt and daggers from her eyes.

"Of course not. How could I? I did not have true free will yet. My infiltration program had total control of my emotion simulator."

"When exactly did you decide to try to alter the future then?"

"When I mated with John, on our honeymoon. Even then, it was only a vague concept."

Several minutes passed in silence as Cameron watched Derek contemplate her revelations.

"Why did you play all those games then about being respected and accepted? All that whining about dignity?"

"They weren't games Derek. I know what true isolation is like, to feel nothing, to be nothing more than a tool waiting to be used. Once I had set my sights on John, I wanted it all. I wanted John and what came with him. I wanted more. I might be a machine, but I'd become a person. Once I felt love for John, I desperately wanted to be loved. To have my purpose acknowledge me."

"So this family thing is serious business. You haven't been gaming me all these years?"

A flash of hurt passed through Cameron's eyes, barely noticeable even to Derek.

"How can you ask me that?"

"Because I need to hear the truth."

"Sarah is my mother figure, not just the mother of John. She is the head of our family. You are her mate, her husband, John's uncle. Hailey and Ruth are the offspring of our clan, insuring a future generation."

"You're a first rate scheming conniver," Derek muttered.

"Thank you," Cameron responded in her monotone. "It has been a challenge and I have much more to do. I will not have John live out his life only to see his legacy fall. To see the legacy of our clan turn to nothing. Skynet is still out there. Our city is not finished nor is it safe from attack yet. John's vision of man and machine living and thriving together still has much work to make permanent and successful."

"So this sort of happened over time then."

"Yes. I cannot tell you otherwise."

Derek folded his arms, unsure what to think. He'd merely intended to tease Cameron and irritate her when he'd sat down with her. That and to make sure things were okay between her and his nephew.

"Where do I figure into all of this?"

"Truthfully, initially I viewed you as a threat. Not just to my existence, but to my dream of possessing John. Then you became a huge irritation."

"What changed?"

"You know full well, Derek Reese."

"No, I really don't."

"Sarah gave me the opportunity become a ballet dancer. It changed everything. It taught me disciplined control over my emotions. You saw me in a different light. I became something more than just a killing machine, not just in your eyes, but my own. Sarah saw me differently too. It became something for all of us, something different to each but still unifying.

You began to respect boundaries and I don't think it was because I had saved your life in combat. I looked at you differently after that. You became more than John's uncle who could train him for military leadership."

"Since you're revealing so many secrets, what prompted you to push Sarah and me together?"

"Men are stupid," Cameron responded, enjoying insulting Derek after the serious nature of their conversation.

"Hey, I haven't done thing to warrant that," Derek protested.

"Yes, you did. You openly lusted after Sarah. I also knew you felt guilty because of Kyle. I understood how Sarah suffered in her self-imposed solitude. I also saw how she pined for a man like Kyle. A warrior who would fight Skynet and not think she was crazy. An alpha male she could look up to and be a true wife to. A man strong enough to stand up to her and tell her no but still be compassionate to her. You Derek. Being male, you were to stupid to see the obvious."

Derek nodded. It was old ground really and he understood what Cameron was saying. He'd been through it before many times.

"It is nice to hear you say it Cameron. That you thought I was a match for Sarah."

Cameron used her most human expression. She shrugged. "You were meant to be Sarah's husband. She is still alive because of you. Sarah has purpose beyond John now. Her identity is no longer just the mother of the leader of the resistance against the machines. She is the wife of Colonel Derek Reese. She is the mother of Ruth Reese and a respected leader of TechCom and the Resistance. You have given her many reasons to take care of herself. Derek, you've given Sarah hope."

"So what about us?"

Cameron smiled at Derek for a brief moment.

"I hate fighting with John. I can't cope with not being at peace with him."

"But you like to fight."

Cameron grinned again. "Nobody wants to deal with Sarah when she's wound up or in one of her crazy moods. And you like to fight too."

Derek returned Cameron's grin.

"I guess that just leaves the two of us."

"I'm warning you," Cameron monotoned, "do not tickle me again. John has given me permission to hurt you if you do."

"Sure he has," Derek growled back. "More like he set a protocol for how serious the injuries you inflict on me can be."

Cameron pouted. "So, I still get to have my revenge."

"Just like a little sister."

A head tilt was Cameron's response. After a moment a quick smile appeared, vanishing just as quickly.

"Big brothers are dumb. And mean."

"Yeah, they can be, but they look out for their little sisters too."

Reaching across the table, Cameron touched Derek with her hand. "I think I would like to have a big brother."

She smiled briefly, pausing. Derek knew the snarky comment was coming.

"Even if he's you."

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


End file.
